BOX SCORE

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Jada Buckner (Sr., Loudon, Tenn.) and Meixandra Porter (Jr., Chantilly, Va.) each tallied 14 points, while Richelle Carach (So., Naples Fla.) recorded her first career double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, to give the Nova Southeastern women’s basketball team (7-3, 0-2 SSC) a 69-54 victory over No. 24 Shaw (1-2) Tuesday night.
 
The Sharks stormed out to an early 22-10 advantage, as Quinessa Johnson (Sr., West Chester, Ohio) knocked down two consecutive 3-pointers. Buckner extended the lead to 15 points, 27-12, at the midway point of the first stanza, drilling the first of four treys she would record in the game.
 
The Bears were able to close the gap to four points on a Victoria Tanner layup, but the Sharks took a 39-32 lead into halftime as Carach put back an offensive rebound.
 
Johnson led the Sharks with nine points in the first half, while Bucker and Carach each contributed eight. Carach was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field in the first half.
 
Buckner began the second half with a triple for NSU just 30 seconds in. The Bears responded though, mounting a 9-0 run to close the gap to one, 42-41, on a Tanner bucket. The Sharks pushed back, gradually building the lead back to seven, 52-45, as Porter sank two free throws with just under 11 minutes to play.
 
Brittney Spencer got the Bears within two again, 52-50, with a jumper, but NSU ended the game on a 17-4 run to capture the victory, 69-54. Following successful free throws from Danielle Robinson (Fr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Porter, Russi hit a pair from the charity stripe and then added two insurance jumpers to score the game’s final six points.
 
Aslea Williams recorded a game-high 22 points and 17 rebounds for Shaw, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the team effort of the Sharks. NSU outrebounded the Bears 56-44, as Wilkins grabbed nine boards and Johnson secured eight.
 
Russi chipped in nine points, while also snatching a career-high four steals.
 
With her two blocks Tuesday night, Wilkins moved into sixth on the career blocks list at NSU with 44. She is three shy of Charity Rainey (47) who currently holds the fifth spot on the list.
 
The Sharks will take a 16-day sabbatical from the hardwood, next taking the court Dec. 30 at Valdosta State. That game will be a rematch of the Sharks’ season-opener, a 53-48 loss at home.

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