WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team hosted Saint Leo (16-13, 10-10 SSC) in the first round of the Sunshine State Conference tournament on Tuesday night.
The Sailfish put on an offensive clinic for the Rubin Arena crowd, shooting 60 percent from the field including a 41 percent performance from 3-point range. The offense led the 'Fish to a convincing 96-69 win over the Lions which allowed PBA (21-8, 13-7 SSC) to move on to the semifinals. The 'Fish have a date with No. 20 Nova Southeastern on Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Darhius Nunn led the 'Fish with 28 points with five assists and two steals.
Dan Largey added 18 points with 10 rebounds and five assists.
De'Ondre Jackson finished with 17 points, four steals and five rebounds.
Jules Jasmin tallied 14 points with four rebounds. The Sailfish led wire-to-wire in the game as they controlled the contest from the opening tip.
A pair of small runs created some breathing room for PBA early in the first half. Through the first 10 minutes of action, the 'Fish led the Lions 22-17. That was when the hosts ripped off a 14-0 run with six points coming from Nunn and five points coming from Jackson. The run gave PBA a 36-17 lead with six minutes left in the period.
The Lions had no answer for PBA's offense as the 'Fish continued to extend their lead. With three minutes left before the break, PBA went on a 13-4 run with eight points coming from Nunn to take a 51-28 lead into halftime.
Saint Leo tried to work its way back into the game at the start of the half as it cut the deficit to 15; however, PBA answered with a 16-0 run to make it a 31-point game. The rout was on from there as the Sailfish cruised to a 96-69 win.
The PBA defense forced the Lions into 18 turnovers, leading to 20 points off Saint Leo miscues. The 'Fish out-rebounded the visitors 34-24 and held SLU to 23 percent shooting from beyond the 3-point line. The Lions struggled when they earned chances at the free throw line, going 14-for-26 from the charity stripe.
The winner of Thursday's semifinal game takes place at 7 p.m. The winner of that game goes on to face the winner of Embry-Riddle vs. Florida Southern in the SSC tournament championship game.
