BOX SCORE

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Keeping the streak alive, the Nova Southeastern University women’s basketball team (10-3, 3-1 SSC) won its third straight conference game and fourth overall as the Sharks defeated Barry University (7-7, 0-5 SSC), 80-71, Wednesday night in the NSU Arena at the Don Taft University Center.

The Sharks are now 10-0 when scoring 70-plus points on the season. Nova Southeastern shot 47 percent (28-for-60) in the game, for its second best field goal percentage this year.

Freshman Jasmine Wilkins paced the Sharks as she tallied a new career high with 22 points. She was 8-for-12 from the floor and perfect from the free throw line as she hit all six. The Miami, Fla. native grabbed six rebounds, while adding an assist and steal.

For the second straight game, junior transfer Quinessa Johnson (West Chester, Ohio) finished the game in double-figures as totaled 14 points.

Within the first 2:15 in the game, the Sharks took a 9-2 lead. Still holding the Bucs to just one basket five minutes into the game, the NSU offense did not slow as they took the early 15 point lead, 17-2.

Senior Lauren Marshall (Gladstone, Mich.) hit a three to keep the 15 point lead at the 14:29 mark but the Sharks quickly went stagnant on offense and allowed Barry to get back in the game.

With only a seven point lead at 20-13, Wilkins added two of her 16 first half points from the charity stripe to end a Barry 7-0 run.

The Bucs would cut the lead to four as late as the 3:00 mark in the first half but the Sharks would head into the locker room with a 10 point advantage, 45-35.

The Sharks did not lose the lead in the first half and would continue that trend in the second half as well.

With under 2:00 left in regulation and only up by five, Wilkins completed the three-point as the Sharks started to tact on points in the late minutes.

As the Bucs continued to foul the Sharks, NSU connected from the free throw line hitting 7-for-8 in the last 1:15 in the game.

The Sharks will hit the road on Saturday, Jan. 15th to the west coast of the state to St. Petersburg as NSU battles Eckerd College at 2 p.m.