NSU men’s hoops’ win sets up epic showdown between top-seeded teams on Tuesday
Ryker Cisarik is back, and that’s bad news for the opposition.
Cisarik scored a game-high 31 points as the host Nova Southeastern University Sharks eliminated the Lynn Fighting Knights, 80-72, in a South Region semifinal on Sunday night.
NSU, the second-ranked team in the nation, will go for the NCAA Division II South Region title on Tuesday night at 7 against the third-ranked University of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers.
In Sunday’s game, Lynn led by as many as eight points early. But NSU scored the final four points of the first half to shave its deficit to 46-43.
NSU then scored the first four points after intermission to take the lead, and the Sharks took control with a 9-0 run midway through the final half.
Of those nine points, six were scored at the rim by Cisarik, and point guard Dallas Graziani started the run with a 3-pointer from the left corner.
Here are four takeaways regarding NSU basketball:
1. EPIC MATCHUP
Tuesday’s game features the top two seeds in the South Region: No. 1 NSU (32-1) against No. 2 Huntsville (32-1).
Huntsville has the longest win streak in the nation at 32 games.
NSU has won 83 consecutive home games, which is an NCAA Division II record.
Huntsville’s only loss this season came in its season opener, losing to NSU, 105-104, in overtime.
Cisarik led NSU with 31 points in that game. But Huntsville’s Tommy Murr scored a game-high 41 points. Murr, a 6-1 guard, also had five assists, making him responsible for 51 UAH points.
2. CISARIK RETURNS
Cisarik, a 6-9 forward from Colorado, missed Saturday’s South Region quarterfinal win over Savannah State due to a sprained right ankle.
But he came back with a vengeance on Sunday, making 14-of-24 shots, including 2-of-6 on 3-pointers. He added 1-of-2 free throws, seven rebounds, three assists, a game-high three blocks and one steal.
NSU coach Jim Crutchfield said Cisarik’s ankle was badly swollen after the Sunshine State Conference final last week.
“It was gigantic,” Crutchfield said of the ankle. “The swelling finally went down on Saturday.
“(By now), it looks worse than it is. You know when you get a bad sprain there’s all the blue at the bottom of your foot?”
Crutchfield said Sunday at game time was the first time in one week that Cisarik was able to run.
Added Crutchfield: “He looked like a million bucks.”
3. REBOUND MACHINE
MJ Iraldi, a 6-6 shooting guard, led NSU in rebounds with 16.
Iraldi, the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year, leads the league in scoring (23.6), and he averages 6.1 rebounds.
On Sunday, his MO flipped. Iraldi converted on just 7-of-19 shots, scoring 17 points, but he made up for it by crashing the boards.
“When you go 7-for-19, you have to make up for it in different ways,” Crutchfield said. “You can’t just say you had a bad day. You have to find a way to win.”
Crutchfield said Iraldi is evolving as a complete player.
“MJ is getting a lot of notoriety because he scores,” Crutchfield said. “But he is trying to (become) a guy who handles the ball well, doesn’t turn the ball over, rebounds and plays good defense.”
4. DAVIS THE DEFENDER
Ryan Davis, a 6-4 backup shooting guard for the Sharks, suffered an injury with 4:13 left in the game. He did not return.
Crutchfield said he is not sure what Davis’ injury is, but the coach did not seem concerned about the severity.
“I asked him what was wrong,” Crutchfield said, “and he just grumbled.
“I think he will be ready in 48 hours. We bank on him.”
Indeed, although Davis doesn’t score much – he is 10th on the team in points per game at 3.8 – he is hellacious on defense.
Crutchfield said Davis defended the screens better than anyone on the court on Sunday.
“He was jumping out and scaring people,” Crutchfield said. “He was stopping their progress. He was out there with a passion, and that bleeds to other guys. He’s an emotional leader.”
Graziani, who had seven points and a game-high seven assists on Sunday, said he hates to be guarded by Davis in practice.
“He is physical and strong,” Graziani said. “He’s a great energy guy. He goes hard every second.”