Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – With both teams having aspirations to earn their first Sunshine State Conference win, Nova Southeastern University held on down the stretch to edge the Eckerd College men's basketball program on Saturday afternoon, 79-74.
Bullish forward Iran Hollis scored 15 of his team-high 21 points in the first half and the Sharks (7-3, 1-1 SSC) extended their current win streak to four straight in the first game of 2013.
The Tritons (6-3, 0-2 SSC) had their three-game win streak come to an end despite a career and game-high 22 points from junior guard
Josh Snodgrass, who finished 8-of-17 from the field.
Snodgrass eclipsed his previous-best scoring total of 15 points recorded against the University of West Georgia in NCAA Tournament South Region action last year.
Seniors
Darrien Mack and
Woody Taylor each turned in near double-double performances.
Mack scored 19 points and pulled in eight rebounds while Taylor scored 13 and handed out nine assists, tying a season-high total to match his output distributed against Paine (Ga.) College.
Senior forward
Walade Wade made his highly-anticipated season debut after rehabbing from an injury to his shooting hand and his presence was felt immediately. The 2011-12 runner-up for SSC Defensive Player of the Year drew two charges against driving opponents in eight minutes on the court.
NSU's Brian Cahill more than doubled his scoring average to score 19 points and also had seven rebounds. The Sharks' leading scorer, Lukas Roesch (12.7 ppg), was hampered by early foul trouble and ended with seven.
The Tritons stormed back from a 14-point first-half deficit down 23-9 to go ahead by five, but relinquished the lead before halftime thanks to a 12-2 Nova Southeastern run in the final 2:39.
Maurice Fuller drilled a three for the game's first points and closed the first half with a buzzer beater bank shot following a full-court pass.
NSU pocketed 11 baskets from three-point territory to shoot over 53 percent from the field.
But the Sharks were anything but automatic at the free throw line in crunch time with time winding down, keeping the door open for the Tritons.
With EC down by 12 points with three minutes left to play, Taylor capitalized on four straight missed free throws from the combination of Sean Mullan and Cahill, racing up the court to convert a three-point play that made it a one-possession game at 74-71.
Inside a minute to play, the Sharks made three free throws, just enough to seal their first conference victory.
The Tritons will look to regroup and focus on undefeated No. 22 University of Tampa (12-0 overall) for a Wednesday night showdown in the McArthur Center. Tip is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. or following the women's matchup.
