MORROW, Ga. – Clayton State (2-5, 0-0 PBC) put up points but not to the level that No. 2/2 Nova Southeastern (4-0, 1-0 SSC) did as they fell by a 154-85 score in an NCAA Division II men's basketball game on Saturday, November 30.
 
Sophomore forward Ricardo Saams, Jr. (Miramar, Fla.) registered a career-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting while sophomore guard Brian Sims, Jr. (Trussville, Ala.) notched a new personal best with 17 points and three steals in 29 minutes.
 
Sophomore guard Arusha Hunter (Snellville, Ga.) added 14 points and junior forward John Mason (Avon Park, Fla.) added 10 points. Freshman forward Mehdi Pissis (Sartrouville, France) came away with nine points and senior guard Kyle Kincey (Tallahassee, Fla.) rounded things out with a team-high six assists.
 
The clubs were evenly matched over the first three minutes as they were separated by no more than five points. With NSU holding a 13-11 advantage at the 17:08 mark that would change dramatically and permanently. Over the next 16 minutes the Sharks would show why they are the top scoring team in the country as they exploded for a game-changing 81-34 stretch. That would give them a 49 point lead, 94-45, before closing the half with a 96-50 advantage.
 
It would get no better in the second half as Nova Southeastern opened with a 38-13 run to extend to a 71 point lead of 134-63 with 8:53 remaining. They would eventually lead by that margin twice more before closing out the 154-85 decision.
 
The Sharks would see seven players in double-digits with three of those surpassing the 20-point plateau. That latter group would be led by Nick Smith with 29 points on 10-of-11 shooting, 7-of-8 of which came from beyond the arc, while R.J. Sunahara had 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
 
Lukas Speidel had a nearly identical game with 24 points, seven caroms and three assists and Mikkel Kolstad had 19 points, four assists and four steals. Shane Hunter had 17 points and Jake Maranville came away with 10 points, six steals, five assists and four boards. Mark Matthews nearly had a triple-double with eight points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Eddie Puisis finished with 13 points.
 
The Lakers are now off for nearly three weeks until they head to Pembroke, North Carolina for their Peach Belt Conference opener against UNC Pembroke on Thursday, December 19. Game time is set for a special tip of 11 a.m.
 
NOTES
The 96 points allowed in the first half are the most in any half in Clayton State history … the 154 points is the most ever in a game involving the Lakers … the program record is 130 (130-63) in a win over Carver on December 3, 2003 … the most ever allowed previously was 122 (122-96) at UNC Pembroke on February 23, 2019 … entering the game NSU led the nation in scoring at 111.3 points per game.