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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern women’s basketball team (9-4, 2-2 SSC) will be seeking its third consecutive conference victory when it visits the Tampa Spartans (7-7, 1-4 SSC) Saturday. NSUSharks.com will be hosting a live blog during the game, beginning at 2 p.m.
 
The Sharks are coming off one of their most impressive weeks this season, downing Florida Tech, 63-59, and No. 22 Florida Southern, 92-87, in overtime to even its conference record to 2-2. It was the first time that the Sharks have won consecutive games since a six-game streak in November.
 
In each of those two games, the Sharks relied on strong second halves to secure the victory. NSU has outscored its opponents by a combined 75 points in the last 20 minutes of each game this season and holds a 32-13 margin in its two overtime wins.
 
“Our team has been gaining momentum with our recent wins against Florida Tech and Florida Southern,” commented head coach LeAnn Freeland. “In order for us to continue with the momentum, we must focus on one game at a time.”
 
Danielle Robinson (Fr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Meixandra Porter (Jr., Chantilly, Va.) each posted new career scoring highs against Florida Southern. Robinson tallied 11 points in overtime to give her 27 points, the highest total of any Shark this season, while backcourt mate Porter dropped in 24 before fouling out just before the end of regulation.
 
The Spartans head into Saturday’s matchup with a .500 (7-7) overall record, with four loses coming in conference play. Last season’s conference runner-up is led by a pair of 12-point scorers in Jalessa Harmon (12.9) and Moriah Hodge (12.6).
 
Tampa leads the conference in 3-point efficiency, converting 37.6 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc. Sarah Wickman has hit a team-best 21 from deep, while Illyssa Vivo has knocked down 19 in 39 attempts (48.7 percent).
 
“Tampa is a very well-coached team and a traditional power in the Sunshine State Conference,” said Freeland. “They play solid defense and have a strong inside presence on the offensive end. It will be important for us to be disciplined while playing our team defense and focused on team rebounding for forty minutes.”
 
The Sharks are winless in their last seven attempts against the Spartans. Last season, the Sharks dropped the first meeting, 79-64, Jan. 22 and followed with a 71-49 loss on the road Feb. 19. The Sharks last victory over Tampa came March, 9, 2008, when NSU topped the Spartans, 53-47, to win the SSC Championship.

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