Box Score FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The opening 33:25 of Sunday's Sunshine State Conference Tournament Championship proved to be a heavyweight battle between Nova Southeastern and Barry. The final 6:35 of the fight, though, belonged to the Sharks, as head coach Jim Crutchfield's team broke a 76-76 tied down the stretch en route to an eventual 98-85 victory, and the program's first-ever SSC Tournament title, in front of a packed crowd inside the Rick Case Arena. RJ Sunahara led the way with a game-high 27 points, and was later named SSC Tournament MVP, while Eddie Puisis added 22 points – all in the first half – to go along with yet another double-double by Sekou Sylla.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 98, Barry 85
Records: Nova Southeastern (28-0), Barry (20-8)
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
1^st Half | The SSC couldn't have asked for a better ball game, as both teams traded leads 15 times just in the first half alone. Puisis fueled NSU in the opening 20 minutes, drilling 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. His fourth triple of the half put the Sharks in front 29-27 before Nick Smith followed with a three of his own to stretch the margin to 32-27 still with 10:27 remaining. Sidelined since Jan. 15, freshman Kobe Rodgers instantly made his presence felt off the bench, providing a perfect underhand pass to Sunahara for a three-point play, keeping the home team ahead 35-29. Still, Barry ripped off a quick five points to knot the score at 42-42 at the five-minute mark. The lead would change hands four more times in the final 2:18. The Buccaneers' Jake Kakar drilled a three to put Barry back on top 54-52, yet Puisis would beat the buzzer with a jumper from the elbow to send both teams into the locker room tied 54-54.

2^nd Half | Mike Moore sparked the Sharks at the start of the second half, scoring all nine of his points within a span of 1:18 to give NSU a 67-57 advantage. The lead soon vanished, though, as the Bucs responded with a 15-3 run to climb back in front 72-70 with 12:06 to play. NSU and Barry were deadlocked at 76-76 until Sunahara converted a pair of free throws to put the Sharks in the lead by two. From there, NSU was finally able to grab control, in large part due to its defensive effort. The Sharks held the Bucs without a field goal for over six minutes, opening up a six-point cushion within that stretch. The margin reached eight until Sunahara made the hustle play of the afternoon, saving an errant pass along the sideline before finding Rodgers for a three to build the lead to 90-79 with just 2:25 to go. Sunahara and Sylla added dunks for good measure, as the celebration was soon on for the Sharks.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Puisis and Sylla joined Sunahara on the SSC All-Tournament Team.
• Prior to Sunday, NSU had been 0-2 in SSC Tournament title games.
• The Sharks beat the Bucs by an identical 98-85 margin in the season's first meeting on Dec. 31.

 
STATS OF THE NIGHT:

• After allowing Barry to shoot 60.6% in the first half, the Sharks limited the Bucs to just 27.0 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes.
• Sylla added 12 rebounds to his 21-point performance.
• Smith finished with a game-high nine assists.
• Rodgers recorded 10 points, five boards, five assists and three steals off the bench.

UP NEXT:
Expected to host the NCAA South Region Tournament, NSU will learn its opening-round opponent when the NCAA Tournament field is announced Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. To watch the Selection Show, click here. To stay up-to-date with the Sharks, visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com or follow them on Instagram and Twitter at @NSU_MBasketball.