NSU Takes Down PBA Men’s Basketball

The Palm Beach Atlantic men’s basketball team returned to the floor on Wednesday night, facing Nova Southeastern Sharks.

The Sailfish (10-10, 6-8 SSC) kept the high-powered offense of the Sharks at bay for the first eight minutes, but NSU (21-0, 14-0 SSC) eventually wore down PBA. The defending South Region champions went on a 19-0 run in the first half to take a 28-14 lead and never looked back. The Sharks won the game, 96-66.

Will Lee led PBA with 18 points and eight rebounds. Reigning SSC Player of the Week Jalen Cooper tallied 12 points and four rebounds. Jakob Hester totaled 10 points and nine rebounds with one steal. Ryan Claflin added nine points and one block.

The trio of Claflin, Cooper, and Lee helped PBA build a 14-9 lead early in the game. The Sailfish did a good job of making NSU’s full-court defense pay. Some turnovers and missed shots allowed NSU to gain some momentum. The Sharks hit PBA with a plethora of 3-pointers in the first half, making 8-of-13 attempts in the first period. NSU led 55-35 at halftime.

Lee scored 10 of 18 points in the second half. Trent McNair played all 20 minutes in the half, snagging six rebounds. Fellow freshman Kolbe Ashe played 16 minutes in the period, scoring six points with two 3-pointers. NSU kept the ‘Fish at arms’ length, closing out the win, 96-66.

The Sailfish return home on Saturday to play Tampa in a rare evening weekend game. The tip-off takes place at 7:00 p.m.