BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Anders Haas could do no wrong, and his Barry University men's basketball teammates followed suit. The No. 8-ranked Buccaneers beat Nyack, 97-70, Friday at Lynn University's Embassy Suites Boca Raton Classic.
Haas, a transfer from NCAA Division I Albany, scored a career-high 35 points, going 11 of 13 from the field, including eight of nine from 3-point range, and had six rebounds and three assists.
It marked the third straight game in Lynn's pre-Christmas tournament a Buccaneers player has scored 30 or more points. And on all three of those occasions, it came via first-year Buccaneer. Adrian Gonzalez and Juan Ferrales, newcomers to the Bucs' program last year, both did it last December on back-to-back nights in the de Hoernle Center.
The Buccaneers (7-1) will play Winston Salem State (7-1) at 5:30 p.m. Saturday to conclude the 2014 portion of the schedule. WSSU beat host Lynn, 72-60, in the second game Friday. Lynn (6-2) meets Nyack at 7:30 p.m.
Haas scored 19 points on six of seven shooting, burying all four triple tries, in the first half. His three with 7:05 remaining in the opening half lifted Barry to a 30-21 lead.
The Bucs led by as many as 14 in the first half, but the Warriors (2-8) whittled it down to four on Will Robinson's basket at the 4:37 mark. Haas the last two of his four first-half triples inside the final 2:14 to send Barry into the break up 11.
Barry was lights out in the second half, going 20 of 28 from the field for 71.4 percent. The Bucs never trailed in the second half.
Bucs junior forward Yunio Barrueta had 14 points and nine rebounds, and senior forward Savad Garner scored 12 points on six of nine shooting in a game the Buccaneers were 36 of 61 from the field for 59 percent.
Barry outrebounded the Warriors, 44-33, marking the 10th straight opponent the Bucs have beaten on the boards, including the two exhibition games against Division I Top 10 opponents Louisville and Florida on the road.
Barry was 14 of 19 from the free throw line. Nyack hit 14 of 21. Nick Moore had 16 points, and Khalid Samuels 13 points for the Warriors.
Barry's 6-8 power forward Tray Leonard grabbed 11 rebounds, had seven points and blocked two shots in 14 minutes. Bucs senior guard Deric Hill had nine of Barry's 23 assists. Barry entered Friday ranked eighth in the country, averaging just over 20 assists per game. Senior guard Juan Ferrales had nine points.
The Bucs were 11 of 22 from 3-point range. The Warriors hit six of 20. Barry's 97 points is a season-high.
Following Saturday's game, the Bucs will be off until Jan. 3 when they play at Florida Southern to resume Sunshine State Conference play in Lakeland, Fla.
Saturday's game will air on the Buccaneers Broadcast Network with Danny Rabinowitz handling the call.