FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Feb. 4, 2009) - Nova Southeastern University's women's basketball team overcame a 11-point deficit in the second half and forced overtime, but the Sharks were unable to hold off Tampa in the extra period as NSU fell 63-59 at the University Center in Sunshine State Conference action.
In the first half, the Sharks (8-12, 4-6 SSC) took a pair of six-point leads, including using a jumper from LaShawnna Edwards (Jr., Miami, Fla.) to go up 13-7 at the 12:11 mark. Tampa (15-5, 6-5 SSC) answered with a 7-0 run, which ncluded two three-pointers from Hailee Sullivan, en route to taking a 15-13 lead at 8:35. After Tara Haddock's (Jr., Citrus Springs, Fla.) trey fell through the bucket to give the Sharks a one-point margin, a 9-2 run for the Spartans gave them a six-point 24-18 advantage with 3:56 left in the half.
NSU kept fighting back. With Tampa up by five, Stephanie Sarosi (Jr., Mims, Fla.) hit a jumper and drew the foul with 35 seconds to go. Sarosi completed the three-point play by making her free throw and pulling the Sharks to within two as the teams entered halftime with Tampa up 29-27.
Control of the second half flip-flopped between NSU and the Spartans throughout the first part of the half. Eliza Allen (Sr., Hegenheim, France) drained a three-pointer at 11:07 to make it a 39-37 game in favor of Tampa. However, the Spartans sank six-straight free throws and added a lay-up from Kym Taylor to go up 47-37 with 7:19 remaining in the half. The Spartans got their 11-point lead at the 5:42 mark with another Sullivan three.
With Tampa up 52-41, a jumper by Sarosi at 5:17 sparked a critical 13-2 run for the Sharks. The run was capped by a pair of Abbie Tepe (So., Cincinnati, Ohio) free throw that tied the game up at 54-all with 1:17 left in the game. Tampa missed three shots in the final 50 seconds of regulation, including two three-pointers, as the teams entered overtime.
In the extra period, NSU took a two-point advantage with a Tepe layup at 4:42. However a four-point run for the Spartans resulted in Tampa holding a 58-56 edge with 2:22 to go. Two more free throws from Tepe at 1:58 allowed the Sharks to knot the game up at 58-all, but another four-point Tampa run gave the Spartans a 62-58 cushion and put team up for the remainder of the game.
NSU shot 40.7 percent from the floor, going 22-for-54 and was 90.9 percent from the charity stripe (10-for-11). Tampa was 37.7 (20-for-53) from the field. The Spartans won the battle on the boards as they collected 35 rebounds to NSU's 31.
Sarosi led the game with a 24-point, 11-rebound double-double. Tepe, who was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line, added in 13 points.
Sullivan had a team-high 18 points, all of which were scored on three-point shots. Tiara Cook grabbed a team-high nine boards.
NSU returns to action on Saturday when the Sharks travel to Palm Beach Atlantic. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. from Rubin Arena.
