Sharks Unable to Slow Mocs in High-Scoring SSC Championship

LAKELAND, Fla. – Despite a program record for points in a Sunshine State Conference Tournament game with 42, Mark Matthews’ monster effort wasn’t enough, as No. 5 Florida Southern outlasted No. 20 Nova Southeastern by a final score of 118-109 to capture the SSC Tournament championship Sunday afternoon in Lakeland, Fla. The Sharks will now wait to hear their name called during tonight’s NCAA Selection Show, scheduled for 10:30 p.m. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: No. 5 Florida Southern 118, No. 20 Nova Southeastern 109
Records: No. 5 Florida Southern (29-2), No. 20 Nova Southeastern (23-6)
Location: Jenkins Field House | Lakeland, Fla.
Get Social: Twitter – @NSU_MBasketball | Instagram – @NSU_MBasketball

HOW IT HAPPENED:
1st Half | NSU head coach Jim Crutchfield couldn’t have asked for a better start from his club, especially in a rowdy road environment, as the Sharks raced out to a quick 6-0 advantage following a spinning finish by freshman Jake Maranville. The Moccasins settled in, though, and rattled off seven unanswered to grab their first lead at 10-8 before consecutive three-pointers by Nick Smith helped NSU regain a slim, 14-13 edge with 15:06 remaining. A Lukas Speidel tip-in kept the Sharks within one possession, yet NSU would make just one of its next seven shot attempts until Shane Hunter’s bucket from the foul line made it a 22-18 contest in favor of the Mocs near the midway point of the half. NSU trailed by only five nearing the five-minute mark, but FSC soon found its rhythm from beyond the arc. Trading two’s for three’s, the Sharks fell behind by double-digits after a Jair Rodgers trey stretched the margin to 41-31. Jack Rauch, who tallied 20 of his career-high 31 points in the opening half, drilled a three to push the Mocs’ cushion to a dozen, when another triple widened the gap to 13 moments later. NSU trailed by as many as 14 in the opening 20 minutes, but managed to trim the margin to 54-43 heading into the locker room thanks to an Eddie Puisis bucket from beyond the arc in the final minute.

2nd Half | Smith connected from deep in the early moments of the second half, narrowing the deficit back to single digits. The margin would balloon to 76-61, though, with 13:56 left following another barrage of three’s by the Mocs until Matthews found a cutting RJ Sunahara for an easy two to cap a 6-0 spurt. Mikkel Kolstad’s first three of the afternoon kept the Sharks well within striking distance, down 78-70, still with 11:37 showing on the clock, which is where the deficit stood 4:05 later after Matthews converted from underneath the rim. A steal and dunk by SSC Player of the Year Brett Hanson once again handed the Mocs a double-digit lead, yet the Sharks found themselves staring a only a seven-point deficit after Connor Zinaich drilled a corner three on a feed from Sunahara. Despite three’s by Kolstad and Speidel, NSU still couldn’t get over the hump, as the much-needed run never showed up. The Sharks managed to cut the lead down to as close as 112-106 on Matthews’ first three-point make of the season. The comeback attempt proved too little too late, though, as FSC took care of business at the foul line to hold off the Sharks for its 25th all-time tournament title. 
 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

  • Matthews and Smith were each named to the SSC All-Tournament Team following the conclusion of the game. 
  • Sunday marked the first time this season the Sharks had lost when scoring 100-plus points. 
  • Matthews’ 40-point performance was his second this season, the first coming in a 45-point effort against Palm Beach Atlantic on Jan. 15. 
  • The Sharks are now 0-2 all-time in SSC Tournament finals – both defeats coming in the last two seasons. 

STATS OF THE NIGHT:

  • In addition to his 42 points, Matthews also collected six rebounds and a team-high five assists. 
  • Zinaich gave the Sharks a considerable lift off the bench, registering 18 points and seven boards in 24 minutes of action. 
  • NSU shot 57.5 percent in the second half, as opposed to 43.8 percent in the first. However, FSC converted 61.3 percent of its attempts after halftime, and 57.8 percent overall for the game. 
  • Hanson finished just two assists shy of a triple-double for the Mocs, totaling 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

UP NEXT:
A shoe-in for the NCAA Tournament, NSU will find out its opening-round matchup tonight when the 64-team field is announced. To watch the Selection Show, click here. To stay up-to-date with Sharks, follow them on Twitter @NSU_MBasketball. 
 
 
 

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