Men's Basketball | 12/30/2021 3:27:00 PM

MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—Both the men's and women's basketball teams will host Nova Southeastern in a Sunshine State Conference showdown on New Year's Eve in The Shores on Friday.

Women's Basketball - Friday, Dec. 31; 2:00 pm; Cesar Odio Court in the Health & Sports Center

The Bucs (8-1, 3-0 SSC) have won six in a row since their lone setback. The Bucs are tied for second in the SSC at 3-0, with wins over Florida Southern, Lynn and Rollins. The Sharks had won two in a row, before seeing their last two games before the break canceled due to CoVID. NSU has beaten Palm Beach Atlantic and Florida Tech, while falling to Tampa and Eckerd in conference play.

The Bucs are top scoring team in the conference, led by the trio of Chiara Fusari, Emma Hergot and Harriet Swindells. In a testament to the depth of the team, leader Fusari ranks just 11th in the conference in scoring at 12.0 points per game.  Hergot adds 10.8 points, while leading the team and the conference at 8.2 rebounds per game. Swindells chips in 10.0 points and adds 3.4 assists. Fusari leads the conference in steals at 3.0 per game, while Trinity Bosecker has 19 blocked shots to lead the conference for the second straight year. Barry also has the second-best scoring margin in the league, ranking third in field goal percentage defense, 3-point field goal percentage defense and turnover margin.

The Sharks (7-4, 2-2 SSC) are in the bottom half of the league in both offense and defense, ranking ninth in scoring, seventh in defense and margin. McKenah Peters leads the team and ranks seven in the league at 13.2 points per game. Grace Gilmore adds 10.5 points and team-best 5.5 rebounds per game. India Shepherd leads the team in assists (2.2) and steals (1.8)

GAME NOTES:

• Nova Southeastern leads the all-time series 29-18, having won 14 of the last 16 games. The Bucs have fared better in the HSC with a 10-10 all-time mark.
• The Bucs and Sharks did not play last season, as NSU opted-out of competition. 

Men's Basketball - Friday, Dec. 31; 4:00 pm; Cesar Odio Court in the Health & Sports Center

The men's team (8-1, 2-1 SSC) won seven straight to start the season and vaulted up to 12th in the national poll. But a loss to Rollins on the road and two cancellations prior to Christmas dropped them down to 22nd. Barry rebounded after the Rollins loss with a win over Caldwell 113-74. The Sharks (10-0, 4-0 SSC) are on a tear to start the year and have risen up to number four nationally. The staved off a loss right before the break, beating Virginia Union 93-88 in overtime after trailing by two with 0.4 seconds remaining. 

Barry is second in the conference in scoring and in margin. They have topped the 100-point mark five times in nine games, and 90 in two others. For all that, the Bucs are a very balanced team, with nine players averaging at least seven points per game, led by Nick Anderson (15.4), Michael Schaefer (15.2) and Jake Kakar (15.1) all averaging over 15 points per game. Schaefer also leads the team on the boards at 6.3 per contest, while Kakar's 2.9 assists tops the team. The Bucs have one of the deepest teams in the league. Barry reserves, through nine games, are averaging 46 points per game – 29.4 points more than their counterparts.

The Sharks are the top team in the league in both scoring and margin. They have also topped 100 points in five games and have seven players averaging at least seven points per game.  Sekou Sylla leads the Sharks and the conference at 22.9 points per game and is third at 10.4 rebounds per contest.  RJ Sunahara is close behind at 20.4 points and 7.1 rebounds. Eddie Puisis (12.2), Nick Smith (12.1) and 

GAME NOTES:

• Barry leads the all-time series 42-24, including 26-6 in the friendly confines of the HSC.
• The Bucs and Sharks did not play last season, as NSU opted-out of competition.