DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Lynn men's basketball team put together a competitive performance on the road Saturday afternoon but ultimately fell 101-79 to Embry-Riddle in Sunshine State Conference action in Daytona. The Fighting Knights showed resilience throughout, taking a two-point lead into halftime and trading stretches with the Eagles in the second half before Embry-Riddle pulled away late. Lynn moves to 10-5 overall and 5-3 in SSC play following the contest
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Lynn set the tone defensively from the opening tip, with Justin Bubak recording an early block and the Fighting Knights forcing turnovers on Embry-Riddle's first few possessions
- After an early Eagle run, Max Polk got Lynn on the board with a strong finish inside, sparking a stretch where Lynn traded baskets and settled into the game
- Bubak knocked down a corner three off a Polk assist to tie the game at 5-5, beginning a back-and-forth opening stretch
- John Roland made his presence felt on the glass, grabbing multiple offensive rebounds and converting a putback to keep Lynn within one possession
- Antoine Jacks provided an immediate spark off the bench, attacking in transition and knocking down multiple three-pointers to help Lynn erase an Embry-Riddle lead and pull even at 24-24
- Lynn briefly took its first lead at 25–24 following a free throw by Bubak, continuing a stretch of strong perimeter defense and rebounding
- Despite Embry-Riddle answering with timely threes, Lynn stayed composed and responded with another Jacks triple and a JP Baron layup to keep the game tight
- The Fighting Knights leaned on transition offense late in the half, highlighted by a fast-break finish from Polk and interior buckets from Matthew Puodziukaitis
- With under four minutes remaining in the half, Braydon Iuli scored on a driving layup and Roland followed with a timely three to swing momentum back in Lynn's favor
- Lynn closed the opening half with poise at the free-throw line, as Sveinn Birgisson converted a pair of late foul shots to give the Fighting Knights a 48-46 advantage at the break
- Lynn opened the second half aggressively, with Iuli knocking down a pair of free throws before Polk finished a fast-break layup to push the lead to 52-48
- The teams traded the lead over the next several minutes, with Polk and Puodziukaitis scoring in transition to keep Lynn in front, 57-54
- Lynn continued to battle inside, as Puodziukaitis finished through contact and Baron added a strong layup to pull the Fighting Knights back within one possession at 63-63
- The Eagles answered with another scoring surge, stringing together fast-break points and perimeter shots to extend the margin to double figures
- Despite the deficit, Lynn continued to compete, highlighted by a three-pointer from Polk and a mid-range jumper from Roland as the Fighting Knights tried to stem the run
- Embry-Riddle maintained control down the stretch, using efficient shooting and second-chance points to hold off Lynn's late push and secure the 101-79 victory
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Jacks led Lynn with a season-high 18 points, knocking down 4-of-7 from three-point range and adding four free throws off the bench
- Polk finished with 16 points, shooting 7-of-17 from the floor while adding three assists and two steals in 31 minutes
- Puodziukaitis had a career day utilizing a strong interior presence, totaling 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and pulling down six rebounds
- Roland anchored the glass with a team-high 12 rebounds to go along with eight points and a three-pointer
- Roland currently ranks third in the SSC in rebounds with 137 this season, averaging 12 a game since the start of 2026
- Bubak added eight points, five rebounds, and three assists, while also recording an early block
- Iuli added seven assists for a team-high, marking 14 total assists over the past two contests
- Baron chipped in seven points and three rebounds in 10 minutes, including a timely three-pointer
- Lynn totaled 39 bench points, 38 points in the paint, and 18 fast-break points on the afternoon.


UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights head south to take on Barry in a midweek matchup set for Wednesday, January 14th at 7:30 pm.