Late Free Throws Lift Sharks in 83-82 Nail-Biter

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Connor Zinaich scored five of his team-high 23 points in the final minute, including the go-ahead free throw with 3.6 seconds remaining, as No. 9 Nova Southeastern survived Embry-Riddle by a final score of 83-82 on Saturday night at the Rick Case Arena. The Sharks trailed by as many as six with 3:12 to play, yet made just enough timely plays down the stretch to stave off the upset. Zinaich led four players in double figures, with Mark Matthews adding 17 points and nine rebounds to go along with Nick Smith’s 11 points and nine assists.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: No. 9 Nova Southeastern 83, Embry-Riddle 82
Records: No. 9 Nova Southeastern (13-2, 7-2 SSC), Embry-Riddle (13-5, 5-5 SSC)
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Get Social: Twitter – @NSU_MBasketball | Instagram – @NSU_MBasketball

HOW IT HAPPENED:
1st Half | The Sharks sizzled early from beyond the arc, collecting four three-pointers from four different players to race out to a 12-4 advantage a little over three minutes into the ball game. The Eagles would respond, though, with seven unanswered points until an RJ Sunahara lay-up ended the run. NSU had very few answers inside for ERAU’s Luka Majstorovic, who finished the night with a game-high 34 points on 15-of-18 from the field. The big man barely needed 10 minutes to reach 14 points, as his efforts kept the Eagles down just 24-20 midway through the half. A Matthews put-back handed the Sharks their first double-digit lead at the 6:33 mark, which grew to as many as 13 following a pair of Sunahara free throws. However, NSU would record only one field over the final 4:28 of the half, as the Eagles capped a 15-2 run with a buzzer-beating three to knot up the contest at 44-44 heading into the break.

2nd Half | An early bucket at the start of the second half handed ERAU its first lead since the opening minutes of the ball game. Neither side would create much separation until back-to-back Matthews lay-ups stretched the margin to 66-59 with 8:30 to go. With the lead only four, ERAU’s Tylin Lockett-Fuller drilled a pair of three’s to put the Eagles on top 71-70. Another Lockett-Fuller trey on the ensuing possession stretched the margin to four in favor of ERAU before a Romeo Crouch triple stunned the NSU crowd, as the Sharks were all the sudden staring at a six-point deficit with just 3:12 showing on the clock. A much-needed three the next time down the floor by Eddie Puisis cut the deficit in half. Still, NSU found itself down 81-76 with only 1:32 remaining. A Matthews bucket pulled the Sharks back to within three. Following a key defensive stop, Matthews then dished to Zinaich, who finished at the rim plus the foul to make it an 81-81 contest with only 37 seconds to play. A Puisis foul on the other end prevented an easy two, yet after splitting 1-of-2 at the line, Majstorovic gave the Eagles a one-point edge. With no timeouts in their pocket, the Sharks pushed the ball up ahead off the rebound, when Zinaich forced a whistle with only 3.6 seconds to go in regulation. Having hit 7-of-9 at the line in the game already, the redshirt senior calmly drained both attempts, as NSU regained the lead. ERAU had one final chance, but Crouch’s off-balance heave at the buzzer missed left, allowing the Sharks to hold on for the dramatic victory.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

  • The Sharks are now 3-2 in games in which they’ve been outrebounded after losing the battle of the boards 33-30 on Saturday.
  • NSU has now won four straight in the series against ERAU.

STATS OF THE NIGHT:

  • NSU turned the ball over just seven times on Saturday, while forcing ERAU into 16 miscues.
  • Puisis and Matt Weir combined for six of the Sharks’ nine three-point makes. Puisis has now scored in double figures in each of the last three games.

UP NEXT:
In a battle atop the Sunshine State Conference standings, NSU will head to Miami Shores next Wednesday to take on Barry. The two programs have combined to win each of the last three SSC regular season titles. For complete coverage of the action, visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_MBasketball.

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