BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Lynn men's basketball team (7-3, 3-2 SSC) delivered a strong all-around performance and led for a majority of the contest on Tuesday evening, but a late three-pointer proved decisive in a 79-78 setback to Tampa in Sunshine State Conference action at the de Hoernle Sports & Cultural Center. Lynn controlled the glass, protected the rim at a season-best level, and executed efficiently on the offensive end, yet the Spartans' final shot with under 10 seconds remaining edged the Fighting Knights in a tightly contested conference battle.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Braydon Iuli found John Roland for a layup to start the scoring for Lynn, but the Spartans jumped out to a 7-2 lead
- Iuli assisted another Roland bucket for the Blue and White's first lead, 8-7
- The Fighting Knights used a 9-0 run to lead 19-10 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the first half
- Tampa chipped away at the Lynn lead to tie the game at 34
- Iuli followed his own miss as the Fighting Knights regained the lead
- Antoine Jacks found JP Baron for a three to close the half with Lynn ahead, 39-34
- Lynn opened the second half with defensive energy, forcing an early turnover before Justin Bubak connected on a three-pointer off a Iuli assist to spark the offense
- Lynn's defense set the tone during a key stretch, highlighted by blocks from Roland and Austin Vick, before Iuli finished a driving layup to keep momentum on the home side, 47-35
- Bubak knocked down a second-chance three midway through the half, and Matthew Puodziukaitis followed with a putback as Lynn leaned on its effort on the offensive glass, 55-46
- Baron attacked the lane for a strong finish, and Max Polk added a tip-in to help Lynn push its lead to double digits, 59-46
- Tampa answered with timely threes to close the gap, but Lynn responded each time with baskets from Vick and Iuli
- With the game tight late, Jacks buried a clutch three before Iuli drove to the rim for a layup in the final seconds to pull Lynn ahead by one with less than 30 seconds remaining, 77-76
- With the clock winding down, The Spartans knocked down a three to take a 79-77 lead with less than 10 seconds remaining
- The Fighting Knights had a final opportunity at the free-throw line in the closing moments, but Tampa's late shot proved to be the difference as Lynn battled to the buzzer, 79-78
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Roland had 17 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and a steal in the first half
- The Fighting Knights committed just two turnovers in the opening half
- Bubak chipped in 10 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes
- Puodziukaitis had 10 rebounds to raise his season average to 7.5
- The Fighting Knights committed just two turnovers in the opening half and had 10 total turnovers for the fourth-straight game
- The Blue and White set a season high with eight blocked shots, including four from Roland and two from Vick
- Lynn led for over 31 minutes in a game with five ties and six lead changes
- The Fighting Knights held a 46-38 rebounding advantage and lead the Sunshine State Conference at 46.8 rebounds per game
 
 
UP NEXT:
- Lynn heads to Melbourne for the FIT Holiday Classic to face Claflin on Friday, Dec. 19 at 7:00 p.m.