WINTER PARK, Fla. - The Lynn University men's basketball team bounced back in a big way on Wednesday night, using a fast-paced offensive attack and a dominant effort on the glass to roll past Rollins, 86-69, in Sunshine State Conference action in Winter Park. John Roland posted his seventh double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Max Polk added 18 points of his own as the Fighting Knights snapped back into the win column. With the victory, Lynn improved to 11-8 overall and evened its SSC mark at 6-6.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Lynn set the tone early with energy on the defensive end as Braydon Iuli blocked a Rollins three on the opening sequence
- Rollins struck first with a second-chance three after an offensive rebound
- The Fighting Knights answered immediately from deep, as Polk knocked down a three to tie it up at 3-3
- Lynn grabbed its first lead behind offensive rebounding with Iuli finishing a putback layup after an offensive board, then Austin Vick attacked the paint for another bucket to keep the pressure on, 7-5
- After Rollins briefly pulled even, Lynn kept its composure and got a spark from the bench as Antoine Jacks scored in the lane, and Matthew Puodziukaitis followed with a tip-in to extend the advantage, 16-11
- Rollins trimmed the margin with a pair of threes, but Lynn responded with timely shots, including a Christian Maxon three and a Sveinn Birgisson three, while continuing to cash in on transition chances, 27-20
- Lynn's pace and pressure created mistakes, with steals leading to points, highlighted by Polk finishing a fast-break layup and Jacks converting in transition to keep Lynn in control
- The Blue and White closed the first half with their biggest push, as Roland steadied Lynn at the line and Polk buried a pull-up three in transition to spark momentum late
- Lynn kept pouring it on in the final minutes, with Jacks drilling a second-chance three and JP Baron knocking down a triple to send the Fighting Knights into the break up 48-38
- Coming out of halftime, Lynn stayed aggressive and quickly stretched the margin, turning turnovers into points
- Polk scored on the break, then buried a three as the Fighting Knights opened up a 58-38 cushion
- Rollins tried to answer from the perimeter to chip back into the game, but Lynn continued to win key moments with stops and rebounds on the defensive end
- The Fighting Knights responded with timely offense, as Baron knocked down threes and Iuli scored in the paint to keep the advantage intact
- Lynn kept its foot on the gas late, adding another transition three from Jacks and a late three from Roland, as the Fighting Knights closed out an 86–69 conference road victory at Rollins
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Roland led the way with 18 points and 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the 2025-26 season while also tacking on three blocks and a steal
- He currently ranks as one of the league's best rebounders, placing second in overall rebounds with 172 (91 defensive / 81 offensive) and fifth in the nation in offensive board per game (4.22)
- Polk finished with 18 points on 7-17 shooting from the field, including knocking down three shots from beyond the arc
- Polk ranks ninth in the SSC in scoring, averaging 15.9 points per game for a total of 303 points this season
- Iuli delivered a strong all-around performance with nine points and a nine rebounds, helping Lynn control the glass throughout the night
- Jacks provided a major spark off the bench, finishing with 13 points, including two three-pointers, in 30 minutes
- Baron chipped in 11 points off the bench and connected on three shots from beyond the arc to fuel Lynn's perimeter attack
- Birgisson added eight points on an efficient 3-for-4 shooting night, including 2-of-3 from deep
- Lynn finished the night shooting 48.5% from the field while hitting 12 three-pointers in the victory
- The Fighting Knights won the rebounding battle 38-34, and totaled 40 points in the paint to complement their outside shooting
- Lynn currently leads the nation in rebounds per game at 44.50 a clip while ranking fourth in offensive boards at 16.11 a game

UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights return home on Saturday, Jan. 31 to host No. 8 Palm Beach Atlantic in a Sunshine State Conference showdown set for 4 p.m.