Live FSC Video | Live NSU Audio | Live Stats
Game Notes
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 5 Nova Southeastern women's basketball team begins the second half of Sunshine State Conference play on Saturday, traveling to Lakeland, Fla., to take on Florida Southern at 5:30 p.m.
The Sharks (16-1, 7-1 SSC) rebounded from their first loss of the season to turn back Saint Leo on Wednesday night, 85-76. For the second straight game, NSU's leading scorer had 25 or more, this time with
Danielle Robinson (Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) pouring in 25.
Jasmine Wilkins (R-Jr., Miami) had been the first at or above that mark this season in the loss to Tampa, with 26.
Wednesday marked the sixth straight game that was decided by 13 or less points, after the previous 11 saw the Sharks win by no less than 18 and an average of 26.7. The team went 7-1 through the conference slate the first time around, and they are currently one game ahead of both Rollins and Tampa in the standings.
Florida Southern (5-13, 0-8 SSC) is searching for their first conference win and has lost 11 of 12 matchups, with the lone win coming at Palm Beach Atlantic in overtime on Jan. 25, 81-72. However, their last six conference losses have only been by an average of 7.6 points.
The team's leading scorer and rebounder is sophomore forward Mariah Harris, at 10.4 points and 7.5 boards. Guard Taylor Maldonado averaged 14.7 points in the Mocs' early season, including 26 in the season opener, but suffered a season-ending injury for the second straight year in game three.
These teams met all the way back on Dec. 7 in Fort Lauderdale, in what was a record-setting night for the Sharks. NSU buried a school-record 19 3-pointers on their way to another new program standard, 110 points, in taking both team's SSC opener, 110-65. The Sharks shot 64.5 percent from the field (40-of-62) to set another new mark, and adding her name to the record books yet again was point guard
Jessica Russi (Sr., Lake Mary, Fla.), breaking her own single-game record for the third time, with 15 assists.
With her 25 points on Wednesday, Robinson passed former Shark point guard and current assistant coach Abbie Tepe for fourth place on the all-time list. She now has 1,049 career points, and is five away from passing Jennifer Havens to move into sole possession of third place. Robinson also needs just 10 field goals to pass Havens for second place on the all-time field goals made list (364), and two free throws for 200 in her career (next up on that list is Missy Guadagnino, fourth place with 207).
Wilkins can move into second place in career rebounds on Saturday, as she is just four boards behind Tepe's 483. Two assists for Russi would notch two milestones: 400 in her career and 146 for the year, the latter mark passing Tepe for third place on the single-season assist list. She took second place on the all-time steal list on Wednesday, passing both Guadagnino and Eliza Allen, and is three away from 150 in her career.
Also against Saint Leo,
Amanda Burakoski (Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.) hit 3-pointer No. 100 in her two-year Shark career.
Taylor Buie (So., Puyallup, Wash.) is six away from that mark.
Florida Southern will provide a video broadcast of the 5:30 game
at this link, and you can follow
live stats here. The NSU broadcast, as always, can be tuned into
here Saturday.
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.
