BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Yes, the third time is definitely a charm.

Barry University won its third straight Sunshine State Conference regular season championship Wednesday, beating host Lynn, 78-60, on a night that signalled a sigh of relief to what has been a challenging season. The Buccaneers weathered through storm after storm during a season when injuries and change were necessary. They could not win back-to-back games in January, and subsequently tumbled out of the national rankings.

But that never deterred the gritty Buccaneers from chasing their goal -- another title.

Three weeks ago head coach Butch Estes said his team would have to win this title on the road. It appeared to be a daunting task after injuries and losses mounted as the page flipped to the second half of the season. But that task became a reality Wednesday night, and now these Bucs can call themselves champions again.

"It means so much no matter where it's won," Estes said.

On Saturday, in the final regular season home game -- a date set aside for Homecoming and an emotional court-naming celebration in honor of their beloved and celebrated past coach Cesar Odio, the Bucs can celebrate with their fans.

Believe it, it's a good time to be a Buccaneer.
 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Barry 78, Lynn 60
Records: Barry (18-6, 14-5 SSC), Lynn (14-12, 11-9 SSC)
All-Time Series: Barry leads, 29-26
 

• Sunday Dech scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds in the opening half as Barry answered every Lynn run, never reliquishing the lead once the Bucs had control. Barry led by as many as eight in the first half. Lynn cut it to one late in the half, but Barry quickly pushed it back to five on a bucket by Johannes Dolven. The Bucs shot 13 of 30 from the floor. The Fighting Knights were 14 of 36.
• Daniel Mortensen opened the second half with a triple to match the Bucs' largest lead, 41-33. The Bucs extended it to nine twice on baskets by Elvar Fridriksson and Dech -- the latter coming at the 16:51 mark. The Fighting Knights cut it to five before another lay-in by Fridriksson pushed it back to nine at the 13:52 mark.
• Marko Tomic knocked down a triple from the wing with 11:52 remaining on the scoreboard to put Barry ahead, 54-45. Tomic grabbed a huge offensive rebound and stuck it back in to keep the lead at nine. Then Fridriksson hit a fadeaway jumper from the elbow around the 10:00 mark to give Barry a 58-47 lead. Kooper Glick came up with a huge steal on Lynn's next trip down the floor, went coast-to-coast and fed Fridriksson for a bucket in transition to cushion the Bucs lead to 13.
• Tomic stuck another three with a hand in his face inside the 8:00 mark to put the Bucs up, 63-49. Glick then found Tomic on the next trip down the floor for his second precise pass in transition to extend the lead to 16. Glick came up with a big board on the offensive end, and sank two free throws to make it 67-49, and the Fighting Knights never threatened.
• Dech finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. Tomic had 16 points, and Fridriksson 14 points. 
• Barry shot 28 of 58 from the field. Lynn was 22 of 61.

NOTEWORTHY:

• Barry's three straight SSC regular season titles matches the most consecutive titles won by any school since the Bucs joined the league in 1988-89. 
• Theo Turner, Tomic and Fridriksson have been a part of all three SSC titles.
• It is Barry's fourth league title in the program's history.
• The Bucs have won five straight games, including three on the road. 

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:

"It couldn't be any better."
        -- Barry fifth-year head coach Butch Estes on winning another SSC title 

ON THE HORIZON:

Barry will host Tampa at 5 p.m. Saturday on Homecoming. The Buccaneers will hold a special ceremony before the game to rename the court at the Health & Sports Center after 17-year coach Cesar Odio.