BOX SCORE

VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Nova Southeastern women’s basketball team (7-4) fell behind 12 points early to the Valdosta State Lady Blazers (8-2) and could not find enough offense in the second half to make up the difference, falling in its final non-conference game this season, 64-54, Friday evening.
 
The Sharks went down 12-6 in the opening minutes of the contest, as Sczeny Hartry hit a pair of 3-pointers for the Lady Blazers. NSU struggled from the field through the first seven minutes, going 2-of-11 overall and missing all four 3-point attempts.  
 
The Lady Blazers increased their lead to 11, but Jasmine Wilkins (So., Miami, Fla.) converted a nice reverse layup to trim the deficit to 21-12. Jada Buckner (Sr., Loudon, Tenn.) then scored her first two field goals of the game in a 30-second burst at the six minute mark to help NSU get within seven, 23-16.
 
The 3-point shot that haunted the Sharks through most of the first half, missing all seven tries as VSU hit 5-of-9 attempts, came in handy for NSU late. Danielle Robinson (Fr., Fort Launderdale, Fla.) hit two from behind the arc in the final four minutes, while the Sharks defense held VSU scoreless in that span to head into the locker room down just six, 28-22.
 
Kourtnee Williams led all scorers at the break with nine points, hitting three treys in the first half for VSU. Wilkins, Buckner and Robinson accounted for 18 of NSU’s 22 points, each tallying six.
 
Buckner provided an early offensive spark for NSU, nailing a 3-pointer and following it up by taking a steal coast-to-coast to close the deficit to four, 33-29. The Lady Blazers responded with a 7-0 run of their own, capped by an Amber Bond layup.
 
Richelle Carach (So., Naples, Fla.) snapped a 5:09 scoreless drought for the Sharks, laying in a nice inbound pass from Jessica Russi (So., Lake Mary, Fla.). Brittany Ferguson fired right back for the Lady Blazers, hitting back-to-back jumpers to put VSU up by 17 with just under nine minutes to play.
 
Robinson helped cut into the VSU lead, recording five consecutive points and forcing a Lady Blazers timeout with 7:37 remaining. The Sharks then added an 8-1 run, getting two 3-pointers from Meixandra Porter (Jr., Chantilly, Va.) to get the score to a manageable 56-46 with under five minutes left to play.
 
The Sharks would get within nine on another Porter triple, but the Lady Blazers held off NSU for a 64-54 win.
 
Robinson and Porter each notched 12 points for NSU, while Ferguson led four Lady Blazers in double figures with 18.VSU outrebounded the Sharks, 41-37 overall and 18-15 on the offensive glass.
 
NSU will next be in action Jan. 4 when Florida Tech visits the NSU Arena for a SSC showdown.

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