Sharks win conference matchup against the Titans 69-64
The Miami Dade Men's Basketball team went on the road and defeated the St. Petersburg Titans 69-64, Wednesday evening. The Sharks move to 10-7 while St. Pete drops under .500 to 8-9.
In a highly contested conference matchup, the Sharks were able to get things started thanks to a jumper from the elbow by John Latimer. After three turnovers by Miami Dade, the Titans were able to capitalize to make the score 6-2. Head Coach Jorge Fernandez called an early timeout but a much needed one. Following the timeout, Lancaster was able to hit a three pointer which got the Sharks' juices flowing. With the score at 16-15 in favor of the Titans, big man Alaaeddine Boutayeb took the ball down in the post and hit a hook shot to tilt the lead in the Sharks favor. This was the beginning of a run that forced the Titans to take a timeout. With 7:26 left in the first half, the Sharks were able to secure a 9-point lead thanks to a corner 3 by Esteban Lluberes. St. Petersburg then went on an 11-2 run to tie the game with 3:07 remaining. The Sharks were able to bounce back and go on an 8-0 run of their own and take a 7-point lead going into the second half.
The Titans had a chance to cut the deficit in the beginning of the second half from the charity stripe but missed their opportunities. Miami Dade took advantage of this and hit a three from the wing. The Sharks would keep a steady lead throughout the second half thanks to some strong play from Strozier and Boutayeb. With 10:09 left on the clock, Lluberes would step out again and hit a deep ball to extend the lead and give the Sharks the cushion they needed. Following the media timeout, Caleb Hannah hit a turnaround jumper as the shot clock expired. With Miami Dade leading by 10 points and 6 minutes left on the clock it looked like the game would be out of reach but a strong run by the Titans made things interesting. An 14-1 run by the Titans would knot things up at 64 with 40 seconds left on the clock. A couple possessions later, Latimer would step up to the line with a pair of clutch free throws ahead of him. Latimer would proceed to hit both to put Miami Dade up two. A huge defensive stop by the Sharks on the other end proved to be the nail in the coffin for the Titans. They were forced to intentionally foul, and Jakobe Strozier was able to hit the free throws and put St. Pete to bed.
The Sharks will look to stay in the win column this Saturday when they take on Florida Coastal Prep. The game is slated for Saturday, January 20 at 2 PM.