WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (January 17, 2025) - Men's basketball suffered an 87-70 road loss at #6 Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday. The result moves the Tars to 9-8 on the year with a 3-6 record in SSC play. The Sailfish improve to 16-1, 8-1 SSC.
From the opening possession, Palm Beach Atlantic asserted itself with quick paint touches and accurate finishes, but Rollins responded with a gritty sequence driven by Jackson Gaffney and Jah Nze that kept the Tars within striking distance. As the first half unfolded, Gaffney drew contact on drives and earned early trips to the free-throw line, calmly converting and injecting energy into Rollins' attack.
Early hurdles did little to faze the Tars, who answered PBA's initial lead with a back-and-forth stretch of mid-range looks and active ball movement. When PBA threatened to pull away with a series of tough finishes in the paint, Nze answered emphatically with a purposed drive and soft touch at the rim, later punctuating his offensive rhythm with a big three that cut into the deficit. Gaffney, showcasing sharp decision-making in traffic, hit layups off timely passes and leaned into contact with poise, eventually knocking down eight of his ten free-throw attempts on the afternoon.
Though Rollins struggled to consistently convert from deep — shooting 9-of-34 from beyond the arc — the Tars remained aggressive in attacking close-range opportunities, getting layups and offensive rebounds that kept the Sailfish from running away in the first half. Omar Figueroa asserted himself with firm finishes around the basket, converting six tough shots into 14 points while contesting aggressively on the defensive end. His physical play in the paint complemented the perimeter work of Rollins' wing players and helped sustain the team's offensive flow. Still, the score was 42-31 in favor of the Sailfish at the half.
The second half saw more of the same as every Rollins attempt at a run was stifled by points from Palm Beach Atlantic. The Tar offense also struggled to convert, with two separate stretches of three minutes without a point. Despite limiting the home team to 6-22 shooting from distance, they used 14 makes from the free-throw line in the second half to maintain a lead that was held until the final buzzer.
Gaffney led the team with 18 points, his fourth-straight game in double digits. Nze added 17, and Omar Figueroa scored 14. The Tars did managed to limit Preston LeGassick to nine points in the game; he was averaging 19.3 per contest coming into the game.
Next up for the Tars is a home contest against Embry-Riddle on Wednesday, January 21. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30pm following the women's game.
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