Box Score BOX SCORE
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Taylor Bestry’s 3-pointer at the buzzer lifted Eckerd College over the No. 20 Nova Southeastern women’s basketball team Wednesday night at the NSU Arena in the Don Taft University Center, 63-61.
The Sharks (15-5, 7-3 SSC) trailed by eight points at the half, and didn’t take their first lead until a
Tailor Jones (Sr., Altamonte Springs, Fla.) layup with 6:33 remaining, at 54-53. A little over five minutes later, Jones gave the team their second lead of the night with two free throws (61-60, 1:17 remaining).
NSU had a chance to extend the lead after a steal, but missed two layups in the final 45 seconds. The Tritons (9-9, 5-5 SSC) took their final timeout with 10.9 seconds to go, and Kayla Bowlin found Bestry wide open on the right wing for the game-winning shot.
“Eckerd played a good game and Bestry hit a clutch shot at the end to win," said NSU head coach LeAnn Freeland. "Coach (Paul) Honsinger prepared his team well for our second encounter. When playing a team for the second time, there are no secrets so players must come ready to battle. I didn’t feel we put forth our best effort today and that is disappointing. In our league, a half-hearted effort will get you beat every time.”
Meixandra Porter (Sr., Chantilly, Va.) led the Sharks in scoring for the third straight game, with 18 points, but was bottled up late, scoring her final points with 9:12 left. Jones and
Amanda Burakoski (Jr., Brooklyn, N.Y.) had 11 points each, while
Jessica Russi (Jr., Lake Mary, Fla.) had nine, including a clutch 3-pointer with 2:33 left that cut it to a one-point game.
The Sharks were outshot 55 percent to 39 percent, and for the first time this season, lost the assist battle (16-10).
“I don’t care whose name is on the jersey or what national ranking a team has, if the entire unit doesn’t show up mentally it is going to be tough to get the job done," said Freeland. "We win as a team and lose as a team.”
Eckerd was led by Krystal Charles, whose 9-of-10 shooting led to a game-high 20 points. Bestry added 11, and Bowlin and Annie Armstrong each had 10.
NSU now trails by one-half game in the SSC, as their co-leader going into Wednesday night, Florida Tech, was idle.
“Unfortunately, setbacks are often part of the journey," said Freeland. "The key is to learn from the disappointment and come back stronger because of the loss. In order for our team to reach its full potential, all of our players must hold themselves more accountable to show up every day to compete.”
The Sharks are back in action on national television Saturday, Feb. 9, when they travel to Lakeland, Fla., to take on Florida Southern. The noon tipoff against the Mocs will be televised live on CBS Sports Network. For more information on the game,
visit this link.
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