BOCA RATON, Fla. – All five starters scored in double figures, including a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds from Sekou Sylla, as the top-ranked Nova Southeastern men's basketball team opened up a 24-point lead at halftime en route an eventual 96-66 victory on the road at Lynn on Wednesday. The Sharks now improve to 24-0 overall and 19-0 in Sunshine State Conference play, and sit just one win away from securing a perfect regular season.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: No. 1 Nova Southeastern 96, Lynn 66
Records: No. 1 Nova Southeastern (24-0, 19-0 SSC), Lynn (10-13, 4-15 SSC)
Location: de Hoernle Sports & Cultural Center | Boca Raton, Fla.
Get Social: Twitter - @NSU_MBasketball | Instagram - @NSU_MBasketball

HOW IT HAPPENED:
1^st Half | Lynn tallied the first three points of the night, yet that proved to be about the only bit of momentum the Fighting Knights would have for the remainder of the ball game. The Sharks opened up a 13-9 advantage following a deep Eddie Puisis three-pointer. The margin stretched to six after Nick Smith drilled consecutive midrange jumpers before his three-point make handed NSU its first double-digit lead at 25-15 midway through the first half. Building off his strong finish in last Saturday's victory over Rollins, Mike Moore contributed with eight points in the opening 20 minutes, including a quick five to extend the margin to 35-18 with 6:13 remaining. The Sharks would hold Lynn scoreless for a span of 4:16, as the lead built to 21 after a Sylla bucket in transition. Even with the healthy cushion, NSU continued to give the Knights fits, forcing 14 turnovers alone in the first half. After a Lynn miscue on one end, Puisis connected from beyond the arc on the other to help the Sharks double up the Knights with a 46-23 advantage. A full-court feed from Smith to RJ Sunahara for a lay-in made it a 50-25 contest late in the half, as NSU would eventually enter the locker room comfortably in front 52-28.

2^nd Half | Despite the 24-point cushion, there wasn't much let up from the Sharks, as Lukas Speidel hit a corner three in the first minute of the second half. Utilizing a jab step to keep his defender off balance, Smith canned one of his three treys on the night to further the advantage to 62-33 with just under 16 minutes left. Shane Hunter later joined in on the act, sinking a three of his own from in front of the NSU bench. Going to his right hand, the lefty Sylla made a driving finish to keep the margin at 29 before Jonathan Pierre became the sixth Shark to hit a three, splashing one to extend the advantage all the way to 74-42 still with 11:16 to play. Sylla reached the 20-point mark for the 17^th time this season with a little over seven minutes showing on the clock, as NSU led by no fewer than 24 for the entire second half.


BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• NSU's 96 points on Wednesday are the most allowed by Lynn in a game this season.
• The Sharks earned the season sweep of the Knights by an average of 23.5 points per game.

STATS OF THE NIGHT:

• Sylla's double-double marks his 15^th of the season.
• Smith finished with a season-high 19 points to go along with five assists and four boards. He has now scored in double figures in seven straight games.
• The Sharks received 20 points from their bench in the effort, including nine from Hunter on 4-of-6 shooting.
• NSU outrebounded Lynn by a 42-26 margin.
• The Sharks outscored the Knights 40-18 in the paint, 21-8 in points off turnovers and 21-2 on second-chance opportunities.

UP NEXT:
NSU will wrap up the regular season on the road this Saturday against Embry-Riddle. The Sharks beat the Eagles in the season's first meeting, 93-71, back on Jan. 2. For complete coverage of the action, visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Instagram and Twitter at @NSU_MBasketball.