BOCA RATON, Fla. – Barry University men’s basketball team grabbed sole possession of first place in the Sunshine State Conference after beating Lynn on the road Wednesday night, 80-72.
The No. 3/4 Buccaneers (14-1, 6-0 SSC) sank 30 of 31 free throws for a school record 96.8 percent from the line.
“The guys were focused the last couple days in practice. To be able to go into a hostile environment like that at Lynn and be able to make that many free throws shows a tremendous amount of focus,” Barry assistant coach Ryan Saunders said. “A lot of those came late in the game, and our guys displayed the poise and confidence to go in there and knock ’em down.”
After Yunio Barrueta canned a triple with 10:14 to play to put the Buccaneers ahead by 11, No. 16/24 Lynn (12-3, 5-1) responded with an 11-0 run over the next three minutes to tie the game at 56-56. The Fighting Knights went up three on Kaleb Clyburn’s triple. Benjamin Berry, who finished with 18 points, hit a jumper to keep Lynn ahead by three with 5:52 to play.
Barry’s Juan Ferrales tied the game for the eighth time at the 5:24 mark. Clyburn’s jumper with 2:07 on the clock gave the Fighting Knights a 72-71 lead. After Barrueta sank two free throws, Clyburn hit a free throw to tie the game for the 11th time. Bucs guard Deric Hill hit a driving layup with 1:16 to play to put Barry up, 74-72. Barrueta and Hill sank their last six free throws down the stretch, and the Bucs held on.
Barrueta had 22 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. He was 11-for-11 from the line. Ferrales scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Anders Haas had 10 points, and Hill and Savad Garner each scored eight points. Jevoni Robinson had nine rebounds.
Clyburn and Aaron Harrison each had 13 points for Lynn.
The Bucs shot 50 percent in the second half. The Fighting Knights hit 36 percent of their field goals after the break.
“A lot of close games in this league come down to late-game possessions and free throws,” Saunders said. “When it was winning time, our guys hit big shots and free throws.”