Box Score BOX SCORE
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Led by
Meixandra Porter, who set school records for points and 3-pointers in a game, the Nova Southeastern University women’s basketball team (1-0) defeated Palm Beach Atlantic (0-1) in the team’s season opener Friday night, 97-57.
Porter (Sr., Chantilly, Va.) poured in 36 points, breaking the record set on Jan. 14, 2003 against Lynn by NSU Hall-of-Famer Jessica Pate. She was 9-of-13 from behind the arc, surpassing current teammate
Danielle Robinson (So., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), who made seven against Tampa on Feb. 11, 2012. Porter was 13-of-17 from the field overall.
“She had a great game,” said head coach LeAnn Freeland about Porter. “She’s been playing very well lately, and it was nice to see her get in the flow of the game and really want the ball. She didn’t force anything, she just let open shots come her way, especially against the zone. She’s a tremendous shooter and just went into the game really focused.”
As a team, the Sharks fell just shy of the team record for points in a game, 99, set against Saint Leo on Feb. 9, 2005. They shot 56 percent from the field (40-for-72), and had 24 assists to just three for the Sailfish. Point guard
Jessica Russi (Jr., Lake Mary, Fla.) set a career high with 12 assists to just two turnovers on the night.
“I thought Jessica had a tremendous game,” said Freeland. “Her growth in maturity from one year ago is unparalleled. She controls the ball so well, makes easy passes, and provides a lot of looks for her teammates to get them easy shots.”
The Sharks broke out early, scoring the first 13 points of the game as part of what would eventually become a 21-2 run. Porter had 12 points on 4-of-4 3-pointers during the stretch. She made her first six shots from behind the arc in the game.
NSU had as much as a 23-point lead in the first half on their way to a 46-27 lead at the break. They actually shot even better in the last 20 minutes than they did in the first, at 56.1 percent (23-of-41). Robinson’s 3-pointer with 1:01 remaining provided the final margin, and largest lead of the game.
“I was impressed with our overall effort,” said Freeland. “I thought our team really controlled the tempo for most of the game, and our on-ball pressure does cause a lot of problems for opponents. But we still have a lot of things to improve on, and that’s what’s exciting.”
Robinson had 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds, and was joined in double digits in points by
Tailor Jones (Sr., Altamonte Springs, Fla.) with 10.
Lynsey Poole led PBA with 23 points, which included 11-of-12 shooting from the free throw line. Ashley Dolberry added 13 points and eight rebounds.
The Sharks host Puerto Rico-Mayaguez next, on Sunday, Nov. 11 at the NSU Arena in the Don Taft University Center. Tipoff is 2 p.m.
For the latest NSU news and results, be sure to visit
www.NSUSharks.com. To have results sent directly to your cell phone via text message, sign up for SMS text message delivery by
clicking here. For the latest news, be sure to sign up for the Shark Alert E-newsletter by
clicking here.
