BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Lynn University men's basketball team opened the afternoon with a dominant burst and carried a lead into halftime, but Palm Beach Atlantic used a strong second-half surge to pull away for an 83-73 Sunshine State Conference victory Saturday at the deHoernle Sports and Cultural Center. John Roland paced the Fighting Knights with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Max Polk and Antoine Jacks combined for 30 points from beyond the arc. With the result, Lynn slips to 11-9 overall and 6-7 in SSC play
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Lynn came out with energy on the defensive end, forcing two early turnovers and turning one into points as Austin Vick scored the game's first basket on a layup
- The Fighting Knights pushed the pace and built quick separation, highlighted by Polk's fastbreak three off a Sveinn Birgisson steal to make it 7-0
- Lynn kept its foot on the gas, stretching the run to 15-0 as Polk drained his third three of the half to cap a dominant opening burst
- Palm Beach Atlantic stopped the bleeding with a three, then chipped away at the line to cut the deficit to 15-5
- Lynn answered with a strong bench sequence, as Matthew Puodziukaitis finished in the paint and Jacks knocked down a three to rebuild a double-digit lead at 20-9
- The Sailfish clawed back behind transition chances and second-chance opportunities, trimming the margin to 20-14 and then 22-17 on a triple
- Lynn responded with timely shot-making, with Birgisson hitting a fastbreak three to extend the lead to 25-17
- Lynn delivered the last punch of the half, as Jacks drilled a clutch three with 44 seconds left to send the Fighting Knights into the break up 34-30
- PBA came out firing to open the half, knocking down an early three and then stringing together transition buckets to surge in front 39-34 in the opening two minutes
- Lynn settled in at the line to slow the momentum, with Roland converting in transition to help cut the deficit to 47-39 at the under-16 media break
- Palm Beach Atlantic countered immediately with a three and free throws to regain control, then continued to find success at the rim to build a 58-45 cushion
- Lynn created a spark in transition, highlighted by Roland's fastbreak three to trim it to 58-48, but the Sailfish answered with another three to keep the margin at 61-48
- Lynn made another push with energy plays and quick offense, Braydon Iuli hit a three, Christian Maxon knocked down a fastbreak three, and Iuli added a layup, cutting the deficit to 66-58 with 8:02 remaining
- Lynn continued to fight, getting a key Roland tip-in and points at the line to make it 76-71 with just over three minutes left
- The Sailfish closed it out at the stripe and with a late three, stretching the margin back to double digits in the final minute to secure the win, 83-73
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Roland led Lynn with 18 points, going 6-for-10 from the field with two three-pointers, while adding a team-high seven rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes
- Polk provided a strong scoring spark with 16 points, knocking down three threes, and adding two assists in 27 minutes
- Jacks chipped in 14 points off the bench, hitting 4-of-7 from deep to keep Lynn within striking distance throughout the second half
- Iuli finished with 10 points and seven rebounds, connecting on two three-pointers while battling inside all afternoon
- Puodziukaitis added five points and went 3-for-4 at the free throw line, while also contributing three assists in 13 minutes
- Maxon knocked down a key fastbreak three, finishing with three points, two assists, and two steals in limited action
- Lynn shot 13-for-39 from three-point range and totaled 24 bench points in the setback
- The Fighting Knights forced 17 assists on 25 made baskets, but were outscored 53-39 in the second half as Palm Beach Atlantic pulled away late
 
UP TEAM:
The Fighting Knights will be back in action at home on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 as Lynn welcomes Saint Leo to the deHoernle Sports and Cultural Center for SSC action.