MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University men's basketball team beat Lynn University, 77-55, Wednesday night on a day the Bucs honored Enrollment Services at the school. The Buccaneers improved to 12-3 overall, 3-3 in the Sunshine State Conference.
Yunio Barrueta scored a career-high 23 points, and pulled down seven rebounds to go along with three assists, a block and a steal. It was the ninth straight game he's scored in double figures.
"He had a lot of energy," Barry coach Butch Estes said. "Every night it can be someone different. Tonight it was Yunio."
Barry won for the first time in three games in a verdict not decided by three points or less. It is the third time this season the Bucs won in a game decided by 20 points or more.
The Buccaneers raced out to a 19-point halftime lead as Barrueta and Juan Ferrales combined for 31 of Barry's 39 first half points. The pair were 11 of 20 from the floor in the opening half as the Bucs shot 50 percent from the field.
Lynn (7-9, 1-5) cut a 25-point Bucs lead down to 15 with 9:13 to play on a bucket by Aaron Harrison, who finished with 20 for the Knights. Savad Garner's basket at the 5:56 mark bumped the Bucs lead back to 20, and Barry ran away with it the remainder of the way.
Ferrales was 4 of 8 from three-point range, finishing with 16 points. Magne Fivelstad, who is 20 of 21 from the free throw line over his past five games, had 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks.
Arie Williams scored nine points, and Deric Hill had seven assists.
"Hopefully we're learning and we're progressing and we're getting better," Estes said. "We got good performances from guys off the bench tonight."
Eight players scored for Barry, including Nico Ostbye, whose three-pointer from the corner inside the final minute kept the Bucs in front by 24. All 10 players either scored or grabbed a rebound for the Buccaneers.
Barry will play at Rollins Saturday at 4 p.m. in another pivotal SSC game.