Sharks lose a tough one against Polk State to kick off their Conference Schedule

The Miami Dade Men's Basketball team fell to the hands of the Polk State Eagles 87-77 in a back-and-forth matchup Saturday evening. The Sharks fall to 8-6 with the loss, while the Eagles improve to 9-5 with the victory.

The Sharks got off to a 14-5 run thanks to a hot start from Caleb Hannah and John Latimer. The Eagles then went on an 8-2 run making the score 16-13 which prompted a timeout by Sharks Head Coach Jorge Fernandez. A turnover by the Sharks followed by a 3 pointer from Eagles guard Knighten Jr. knotted the score up at 16 apiece. The Sharks then scored 8 straight to make the score 24-16. Polk State then found their rhythm to make the score 35-32.

Eagles forward Cole White and Sharks guard Jakobe Strozier exchanged a pair of buckets with 1:13 remaining in the first half to tie up the score at 40-40. After a turnover and a missed 3 by the Eagles, Hannah brought down a rebound which led to a transition 3 by guard Shane Lancaster to beat the buzzer, making the score 45-40 to end the first half.

Latimer kicked off the second half by driving to the basket and drawing a foul leading to a 3 point play. The Sharks explosive start to the half continued as sophomore Esteban Lluberes made the score 52-40. With 11:01 remaining, the Sharks held a 10 point lead at 66-56 but the Eagles dominated from here on out.

Polk went on a 15-0 run fueled by their freshman center Nathan Andrice. After completely flipping the script, the Sharks hit three straight 3's to make the score 84-77 in favor of the Eagles with 18 seconds remaining on the clock. This late push from Miami Dade proved to be too late as Polk State's Dominick Nelson sealed the deal with two free throws.

The Sharks will look to bounce back at home when they take on conference opponent Indian River State College. The game is slated for Wednesday, January 10 at 7:30 PM.