FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Lynn University men's basketball team showed resilience and offensive firepower Wednesday night, battling back multiple times against top-ranked Nova Southeastern before falling 105-94 in Sunshine State Conference action inside Rick Case Arena. Despite trimming double-digit deficits in both halves, the Sharks capitalized on early momentum and timely perimeter shooting to hold off the Fighting Knights, who moved to 12-11 overall and 7-9 in SSC play following the road contest.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Lynn came up empty on its first few possessions despite multiple looks and an early offensive board from John Roland, and Nova Southeastern quickly jumped in front with back-to-back jumpers to take a 4-0 lead
- Sveinn Birgisson got the Fighting Knights on the board with a fast-break layup (18:24), but NSU answered immediately with a three and used second-chance opportunities to build momentum
- Early foul trouble disrupted Lynn's rhythm, as the Sharks cashed in at the line to stretch the margin to 9-2
- Nova Southeastern's pressure created a key mid-half swing as a Lynn turnover led to a runout three, and the Sharks pushed the lead to 15-2 with 14:27 left in the half
- Lynn steadied itself with interior finishes from Antoine Jacks and Justin Bubak, and Jacks added free throws to help trim the deficit to 18-6
- The Fighting Knights kept chipping away with stops and transition, highlighted by Austin Vick's three off a steal (10:26) and Birgisson's finish inside to cut it to 20-18 with 9:44 left in the frame
- NSU responded with a quick counterpunch to create separation, extending the lead to 36-26 and then 49-30 late in the half
- Lynn got to the stripe to close the period, but the Sharks buried a buzzer-beating three to take a 60-36 advantage into halftime
- Out of the break, Lynn continued to battle with finishes from Braydon Iuli and Roland, but Nova Southeastern stayed hot from deep and kept the margin at 63-38 and then 66-40 early in the second half
- Roland provided a spark on the glass and around the rim, grabbing multiple offensive rebounds leading to put-backs and Lynn paired it with a Jacks three (15:46) to cut it to 71-50
- The Sharks answered again with timely threes to keep the lead comfortable, while Lynn found offense through Roland's perimeter scoring (back-to-back threes) and Christian Maxon's triple (11:00)
- Lynn continued to compete through the final stretch with baskets from Birgisson and Bubak, plus late transition scores, but Nova Southeastern's consistent scoring and free throws maintained control down the stretch, 105-94
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Roland led all Lynn scorers with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, adding 12 rebounds (7 offensive) for his ninth double-double while hitting both of his three-point attempts
- Roland has averaged 17.1 points per game since the first matchup with NSU back on Jan. 14, scoring double digits in each game
- Bubak provided a big lift off the bench with 18 points, knocking down 3 threes and shooting 6-for-11 overall for his biggest performance of 2026 so far
- Iuli contributed 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block while shooting 4-for-6 from the floor
- Jacks stuffed the stat sheet with 9 points and a team-high 5 assists
- Matthew Puodziukaitis added 9 points and 6 rebounds, including a highlight dunk in the second half
- Birgisson chipped in 7 points, 3 rebounds, and a pair of steals
- Vick scored 5 points on perfect shooting (1-for-1 FG, 1-for-1 from three, 2-for-2 FT)
- Maxon scored 6 points, hitting two second-half three-pointers
- Lynn shot 51.6% from the field (33-64) and 81.8% from the free-throw line
- The Fighting Knights won the rebounding battle 38-33, including 13 offensive boards
 
UP NEXT:
Lynn is set to take some time off before hitting the road again next Wednesday, Feb. 18, to take on the Spartans in Tampa at 7:30 p.m.