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Thanksgiving Classic Central
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Game Notes
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 4 Nova Southeastern women's basketball team will host their second showcase of the season, the 2013 Thanksgiving Classic, Friday and Saturday at the NSU Arena.
The Sharks (4-0) swept past opponents Kentucky State and Ferris State at last weekend's Bellarmine Classic in Louisville, Ky. This weekend, they and fellow Sunshine State Conference squad Florida Tech will take on Pitt-Johnstown and Flagler College, each of which feature high-scoring offenses on the early season.
After FIT and Flagler kick off the event at 2 p.m. on Friday, the Sharks and Pitt-Johnstown (1-3) tip off at 4. The Lady Cats hail from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and their last two losses were against fellow PSAC schools. Their top scorer is sophomore guard Kayla DeCriscio, who averages 19.3 points a game and has made 50 percent of her 3-pointers this season (21-of-42). Her average of 5.25 3-pointers made a game is second in the nation, while the team is third in that category (11.3), while averaging 87.2 points a contest, fifth in the PSAC and 43rd nationally.
The following day, again at 2 and 4 p.m., it's UPJ and FIT, followed by NSU and Flagler (1-2). The Saints' two losses have each come against SSC squads, in Saint Leo and Eckerd. In the former, the team's season opener, 5-3 senior guard Wiiliesha Spencer poured in 44 points, the highest total for any DII player thus far this year. Her 28.7 points per game ranks second in the country. The team leads the Peach Belt Conference in scoring offense (89.0, 14th nationally) and 3-pointers a game (9.0, 16th nationally).
The Sharks aren't without nationally-ranked players of their own, with
Jessica Russi (Sr., Lake Mary, Fla.) second among all DII players at 8.8 assists per game and
Richelle Carach (Sr., Naples, Fla.) third in field goal percentage at 78.6 percent. Russi was named to Bellarmine's All-Classic Team, averaging six points, 7.5 rebounds, 10 assists (12 in the finale, one off her school record), four steals and 1.5 blocks. Carach is the only Shark to score in double digits in every game this season.
Both Russi's assist average and Carach's field goal percentage also lead the SSC, as does
Alexis Murphy (So., Carlisle, Ohio), first in the conference in 3-point percentage (60 percent), and
Taylor Buie (So., Puyallup, Wash.), tied for first in 3-pointers per game (3.0). Each of these sophomore guards set new career highs in scoring in Louisville: Buie leading the team with 22 in the 81-56 win over Kentucky State, while Murphy had 15 as the Sharks topped Ferris State, 94-70.
In addition, Carach is second in the SSC in rebounding (8.5) and third in free throw percentage (93.8 percent), Buie is second in assist/turnover ratio (3.0) and Russi is tied for third in steals (2.8). Buie and Carach's scoring average of 15.5 per game currently tie for the team lead and tie for fourth in the league.
As a team, the Sharks are first in the conference in scoring offense (90.2), free throw percentage (76.8), assist/turnover ratio (1.2) and 3-pointers made per game (9.8). They are second in scoring margin (+17.8), assists (20.5) and steals (9.5). NSU's highest national rankings come in assists (10th), 3-pointers made per game (11th) and scoring offense (12th).
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found here
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