Barry has revenge on its mind as it prepares to play Nova Southeastern in basketball

Separated by just four spots in the national polls and 16 miles on a South Florida map, host Barry University and Nova Southeastern University will meet in an intriguing NCAA Division II men’s basketball matchup on Wednesday night.

No. 8 NSU (13-2, 7-2) and No. 24 Barry (13-3, 7-2) are two of the three teams tied for the lead in the Sunshine State Conference, joined by Florida Southern.

NSU, dreadful just a couple of years ago — finishing 6-20, 3-15 in 2016-2017 — has been remarkably transformed ever since coach Jim Crutchfield was hired in March of 2017.

Crutchfield, who averaged more than 30 wins per season in the final eight years at his previous stop (West Liberty), took NSU to the NCAA Elite Eight last season.

“His arrival has made an impact in our league,” Barry coach Butch Estes said of Crutchfield, who led NSU to a 29-4 record last season. “He has enhanced what was already a great league [Sunshine State].”

Estes, hired by Barry in April of 2013, is also a highly successful coach, taking the Bucs to the NCAA Elite Eight twice in six years. He is the only coach ever to guide Barry to five NCAA tournaments.

This season, Barry had won 10 straight games until the Bucs were routed 105-86 by St. Leo on Saturday. The Bucs were second in the league in defense entering that game. But they got rolled by St. Leo, the first school to put up at least 100 on Barry since Nov. 28, 2018.

Saturday’s defeat came at an interesting time. The Bucs have lost their three most recent matchups against NSU — all last season — and that can’t sit well with anyone at Barry.

NSU has been off since Saturday’s 83-82 win over Embry-Riddle, getting the game-winning free throw with 3.6 seconds left by redshirt senior Connor Zinaich.

In NSU’s previous game, Mark Matthews set the school record with a 45-point performance in a 103-88 win over Palm Beach Atlantic. Matthews, a 6-6 redshirt senior wing, shot an incredible 21-for-25 from the floor.

He is second in the league in scoring (22.8), third in field-goal percentage (63.9) and tied for fifth in assists (4.7).

Barry’s statistical leader is 6-6 senior forward Tylan Birts, a former South Dade High standout who is second in the league in rebounds (8.8), tied for fourth in blocks (1.4) and sixth in field-goal percentage (57.4 percent).

THIS AND THAT

▪ The St. Thomas University baseball team will be led this season by three seniors: shortstop Alejandro Rivero, catcher Daniel Mondejar and pitcher Ernesto Pino.

Rivero hit .308 with 15 homers and 65 RBIs while playing third base last season for St. Thomas.

Mondejar, who hit .305 with two homers and 25 RBIs, makes his biggest impact on defense, where STU coach Jorge Perez said he ranks among the best catchers in the country.

“He’s a phenomenal receiver,” Perez said. “He has a professional arm. He’s smart, and his offense got better in the second half of last season.”

Pino, who has had a couple of arm surgeries, had uninspiring numbers last season – 0-2 with a 5.06 ERA in 17 relief appearances.

“But this is the first time he is fully healthy,” Perez said. “He’s 6-foot-2, throws 90-92 (mph), and his slider has gotten better.”

▪ The reigning Sunshine State Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week is NSU senior Jordan Tully. A 6-2 forward, Tully scored a career-high 29 points and then followed that up with a 27-point game. She shot 56 percent from the floor in those two games, averaging 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals

This story was originally published January 21, 2020 at 4:29 PM.