FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Dallas Graziani recorded 20 points and six assists, Eli Allen added 18, and Bennett Kayser added 15 off the bench as 1-seed Nova Southeastern outran 8-seed Morehouse College 94-60 in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament for their 103rd consecutive home win. Ross Reeves (12 points), Jaxon Nap (11) and Bobby Rosenberger III (10 points) rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Sharks.



Score: #1 Nova Southeastern 94 | Morehouse 60
Records: #1 Nova Southeastern 28-1 (19-1 SSC) | Morehouse 22-10 (19-5 SIAC)
Location: Crutchfield Court at Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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The Sharks took an early 4-0 lead but were unable to shake the Maroon Tigers in the early going. Morehouse went ahead 8-7 on a three-pointer from Brandon Peters, but the score remained deadlocked at 12 with just under 12 minutes remaining in the first half. NSU then went on a crucial 11-0 run, gaining all the momentum and a 23-12 lead at the 8:52 mark. The run featured a free throw and basket from Ryan Davis, an and-one from Dallas Graziani, a steal, a bucket, and another three-pointer from Bennett Kayser. The Maroon Tigers finally responded with a layup of their own, but the Sharks kept them at arm's length the rest of the half. NSU went up by 15 on a score from Eli Allen, and they took a 44-29 lead into the locker room after another score from Kayser.

The Sharks opened the second half with an 8-0 run, as they got a three from Allen, a layup from Jaxon Nap and another trey from Allen to go up 52-29 and force a Morehouse timeout with 17:46 remaining. NSU continued stringing stops together, forcing turnovers and later went ahead 71-41 at the 11:07 mark on another basket from Nap. The lead hovered at or around 30 points the rest of the contest. NSU took a 38-point, 92-54 lead-- its largest of the game-- on a score from Bobby Rosenberger III with 2:17 left, and the reserves closed the ballgame. The Sharks took the First Round win by a score of 94-60.




Dallas Graziani: 20 points, six assists
Eli Allen: 18 points
Bennett Kayser: 15 points, seven rebounds, three steals
Ross Reeves: 12 points, eight rebounds, three steals
Jaxon Nap: 11 points, eight rebounds, three steals
Bobby Rosenberger III: 10 points, six rebounds



The Sharks (28-1, 19-1 SSC) advance to the NCAA Second Round for a date with Montevallo. Tip off is set for Sunday, March 16 at 7:30 PM. To stay up-to-date on the Sharks NCAA Tournament run, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter/X at NSU_MBasketball.