Sharks rally to defeat Palm Beach State College, 68-64

The Miami Dade Sharks staged an impressive second-half comeback to edge past the Palm Beach State College Panthers 68-64. Trailing 32-28 at halftime, the Sharks tightened their defense and found their offensive rhythm to secure the hard-fought win.

Palm Beach State started strong, led by Xavier Gordon-Somers, who dominated with 22 points and five rebounds. Despite shooting struggles, the Sharks stayed within striking distance in the first half thanks to key three-pointers from Randy Smith and Faheim Saintleger Meran.

The second half belonged to Meran, who delivered a stellar performance with 23 points, including four three-pointers, while adding eight rebounds. His leadership on both ends of the court spurred the Sharks' rally. Miami Dade also received a significant boost from Hassan Belkhaddar, who scored 14 points off the bench, hitting timely shots during the decisive stretch.

Defensive adjustments in the second half proved crucial for the Sharks, as they forced 20 turnovers overall and limited Palm Beach State's three-point shooting to just 23.5%. Jordan Cooke's clutch three-pointer midway through the second half and Meran's fast-break layup in the final minutes sealed the victory. The Panthers' Carter Mungin added 13 points on perfect shooting, but it wasn't enough to hold off Miami Dade's surge.

The Sharks now turn their heads to #20 ranked Northwest Florida whom they'll face on Saturday.