PITTSBURGH - Ross Reeves scored 31 points to lead four players in double figures, Jaxon Nap added 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Nova Southeastern exacted vengeance on Black Hills State 76-66 in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight to advance to their fourth consecutive Final Four on Wednesday night. The Yellow Jackets, who defeated the Sharks back in the 2022 Elite Eight, stayed within striking distance before faltering late. Dallas Graziani recorded 12 points, Bennett Kayser added 11 off the bench, and Ryan Davis supplied a career-high 13 rebounds for the Sharks.

"Black Hills State is fundamentally sound and well-coached. They're well-schooled," Nova Southeastern head coach Jim Crutchfield said. "This is just the kind of game you have to battle... that's our best. Guys that fight to the very end... (we) made just enough shots to win a really good basketball game." 



Score: #1 Nova Southeastern 76 | Black Hills State 66
Records: #1 Nova Southeastern 31-1 (19-1 SSC) | Black Hills State 30-5 (17-3 RMAC)
Location: UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse | Pittsburgh, Penn.
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The Yellow Jackets drew first blood with a three-pointer, but Dallas Graziani responded with an old-fashioned three-point play to tie the score 3-3. The two teams battled to a 5-5 tie before Bobby Rosenberger III subbed in and provided an impact for the Sharks. Rosenberger III drilled a corner three before getting a steal on the ensuing inbound, and Ross Reeves hit a jumper to give NSU a 12-5 lead going into the first media timeout. Reeves tacked on two free throws before Black Hills State responded with a 6-0 run, cutting the deficit to 14-11.

The Sharks countered with a 6-0 run of their own, as they went up 20-11 after a bucket from Graziani, a trey from Reeves, and a free throw from Graziani after a Yellow Jacket flagrant foul. Black Hills State fought back and cut the deficit to 22-20 after a triple from BJ Woodruff, but the pace slowed down considerably as both teams struggled to convert from the field. Bennett Kayser finally knocked down a trey from the wing to go up 31-24 with just over five minutes remaining. Reeves then scored eight of the Sharks' nine points to close the half, and they held Black Hills State to just five points the rest of the way to take a 40-29 halftime lead.

The Sharks opened up a 46-35 second half lead on Graziani's pull-up jumper with just under 16 minutes remaining. However, the Yellow Jackets cut the lead to six on two occasions, and Joel Speckman's layup cut NSU's lead to 48-42 before Reeves responded with back-to-back buckets to go back up by ten. The Yellow Jackets stormed back, cutting the deficit to 52-50 after back-to-back threes with just under 10 minutes remaining. NSU responded with a layup from Reeves, a steal from Nap, and two free throws from Rosenberger III to push the lead to 56-50, completely swinging the momentum.

The Sharks then got a stop, a midrange jumper from Kayser, another stop, and a three-pointer from Kayser to go up 61-50 at the 7:19 mark. NSU then got back-to-back layups from Nap before Kayser got another strip-and-score on the inbound to go up 67-55. The Yellow Jackets didn't go away, as they got threes from Blake Volmer and BJ Woodruff to get them within 69-63 with just over two minutes remaining. However, Nap hit the dagger stepback three-pointer with 1:56 left, and the Sharks closed the game at the free throw line to take the 76-66 victory.

"With their hard-fought victory in the Elite Eight, our men's basketball team has once again proven it belongs among the nation's best," NSU President and CEO Harry K. Moon said. "To our student-athletes and coaching staff, Shark Nation is behind you every step of the way as you chase another NCAA Division II Championship."

"This program continues to set the standard for sustained excellence. Earning a fourth consecutive Final Four appearance is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our student-athletes, coaches, and support staff," Interim Director of Athletics Ryan Romero said. "We are so proud of the consistency and championship culture they represent at NSU."



Ross Reeves: 31 points, six rebounds
Jaxon Nap: 13 points, 10 rebounds
Dallas Graziani: 12 points, four rebounds
Bennett Kayser: 11 points
Ryan Davis: 13 rebounds (career-high)




The Sharks advance to their fourth straight NCAA Division II Final Four and will face the winner between fourth-seeded Daemen and fifth-seeded Lander. Tip-off is scheduled for Friday night at 8:30 p.m. To stay up to date on the Sharks' NCAA Tournament run, be sure to follow on Instagram and X at NSU_MBasketball.