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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern women’s basketball team, a half-game out of first place in the Sunshine State Conference with just four games to play, host Rollins on Wednesday for the Sharks’ annual Pink Zone game at the NSU Arena in the Don Taft University Center.
Saturday’s 66-56 win over Tampa, coupled with a win by Lynn and a loss by Florida Tech, shook up the top of the SSC standings. The Sharks (16-6, 8-4 SSC) are now tied with FIT, each a game behind 9-4 Lynn. Though there are only four games left, the team’s focus is on Wednesday’s matchup with the Tars.
"It was nice to get back in the win column,” said head coach LeAnn Freeland. “Our players did what they needed to do to get the win against Tampa. Now, the only game that matters is our game vs. Rollins."
The Pink Zone game helps raise money for the American Cancer Society. Fans attending can help "take a bite out of cancer” by making a donation while cheering on the Sharks. The first 300 fans through the doors will receive a free pink t-shirt sponsored by Moe’s Southwest Grill, as well as the opportunity to compete in the halftime contest for a pink iPod Nano courtesy of Best Buy on University Drive.
NSU snapped a two-game losing streak against Tampa on Saturday. They broke open a close game with 16 straight first-half points, keyed by four 3-pointers and 14 points by
Meixandra Porter (Sr., Chantilly, Va.). They held off a couple of UT second-half rallies with quick steals and transition baskets, including three lay-ins in a row by
Danielle Robinson (So., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), who also notched a career high with seven steals.
"We play our best basketball when we apply a great amount of pressure on the ball,” said Freeland. “Danielle and Meix are two of the best on-ball defenders in the country. When they set the tone, everyone follows."
Rollins comes in to Wednesday’s game having won four of their last five, including a win over then-conference leader FIT on Feb. 13. However, their last game was a one-point loss to the new team atop the SSC, Lynn (48-47).
"Rollins is a talented team who played one of their best games of the season one week ago against Florida Tech,” said Freeland. “It will be important for our players to communicate effectively on defense, in order to stop their motion offense."
In Winter Park, Fla., on Jan. 16, the Sharks snapped an eight-game losing streak in the all-time series against Rollins, winning 77-62. The game was tied at 60-60 with exactly eight minutes remaining, but from then until the 1:16 mark, NSU outscored the No. 17 Tars 17-0.
The Sharks and Tars, now both unranked, will tip off at 5:30 on Wednesday. NSU students, faculty and staff receive free admission with their Shark Card to support the Sharks and the fight against cancer.
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SHARK STATS
• Porter continues her campaign for All-SSC honors (and as a top candidate for SSC Player of the Year), ranking in the top three in five statistical categories. She leads all players in steals (2.6) and 3-pointers per game (2.5), is second in scoring (16.0) and is third in 3-point percentage (38.5%) and free throw percentage (85.7%).
• Factoring in her points scored at Colorado State, Porter recently surpassed 1,000 in her career. In just two seasons at NSU, she is sixth among all scorers since the team moved to Division II with 766 points.
• The senior is also just nine 3-pointers away from the NSU all-time season mark. Her 55 this year only trails Danielle Robinson’s 60 last season and Eliza Allen’s 63 in 2007-08.
• In this year’s earlier matchup against the Tars,
Amanda Burakoski (Jr., Brooklyn, N.Y.) posted a career-high 27 points. She had 17 Saturday against Tampa, her 16th double-digit game of the season. Her point-per-game average of 13.6 puts her sixth in the conference, one-tenth of a point and one slot behind Robinson.
• Burakoski, among the top candidates for SSC Newcomer of the Year, is second in the conference in field goal percentage (53.4%) and 3-point percentage (42.5%). She is also third in 3-pointers made (2.2) and tied for sixth in steals (2.0). Her percentages still rank her in the top-20 nationally: 11th from 3-point range and 20th from the field.
• Robinson, last year’s SSC Freshman of the Year, besides being fifth in the conference in scoring, is fifth in steals (2.1), seventh in 3-point percentage (33.3%) and eighth in 3-pointers per game (1.7).
•
Jessica Russi (Jr., Lake Mary, Fla.) had seven assists against Tampa and her 5.0-per-game average leads the SSC and is 20th in all of Division II. Her next assist will be the 200th of her Shark career.
• The Sharks have two more viable candidates for the SSC Freshman/Newcomer Team:
Tailor Jones (Sr., Altamonte Springs, Fla.) and
Taylor Buie (Fr., Puyallup, Wash.). Jones averages 9.6 points and 3.7 assists per game and shoots 46.3 percent from the field, giving her SSC ranks of 19th, fourth and eight, respectively. Buie averages 6.5 points per game, fifth on the team, and her 33 percent 3-point shooting ties her with Robinson for seventh in the conference.
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