Box Score BOX SCORE
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 20 Nova Southeastern women’s basketball team cut an 18-point second-half deficit to three, but was unable to get over the hump, falling to Florida Tech on Wednesday at home by the score of 83-73.
The Sharks (12-4, 4-2 SSC) trailed 63-45 with 10:51 remaining before going on a 21-6 run from then until the 4:30 mark, cutting the lead to 69-66. But the Panthers (12-4, 4-2 SSC) scored the next five points, and ended the contest by outscoring NSU 14-7 for the final 10-point margin.
“Florida Tech played a great game," said head coach LeAnn Freeland. "They exploited our weaknesses on defense in the first half and established a commanding lead. Despite a hard fought comeback, it was too little, too late.”
Florida Tech was hot from the field all game long. They shot 64 percent in the first half, including 67 percent from behind the arc (6-of-9), which allowed them to go into the locker room leading by 17, 49-32. That is the largest deficit the Sharks have faced at the half so far this season.
Coming out of the break, the Sharks cut it to 11 at 51-40 with 16:12 left, but the Panthers scored six straight to push the lead back to 17. The spread hovered between 14-18 until NSU began to mount their comeback.
Danielle Robinson (So., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) led all scorers with 23 points.
Tailor Jones (Sr., Altamonte Springs, Fla.) set a new career mark with 19 points and her seven rebounds tied for the team high with
Meixandra Porter (Sr., Chantilly, Va.). Porter had 14 points in the loss.
The Panthers had four in double digits, led by Kayk Jones with 20. Rosie Hynes had 17, Ida Gustafsson 16 and Peggy Smith 11. As a team, FIT’s full-game percentage of 57 percent was the second-highest by an NSU opponent this year (behind only the 67 percent shot by Fayetteville State on Dec. 14).
NSU and FIT, along with Lynn, the Sharks' next opponent, are now slotted atop the SSC with identical 4-2 marks.
“Since we are now the team being hunted, we have to give our best effort at every practice and every game," said Freeland. "Every player must show up ready to play both ends of the floor.”
Wednesday also marked the first loss for the Sharks this season on their home court at the NSU Arena in the Don Taft University Center. They are back in action Saturday when they travel to Boca Raton, Fla., to take on the Fighting Knights at 2 p.m.
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