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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 4 Nova Southeastern women's basketball team hosts their 2014-15 Sunshine State Conference opener against another highly-ranked squad, the No. 9 Tampa Spartans, Saturday at 2 p.m. at the NSU Arena.

NSU Athletics is offering a $500 prize to a student organization Saturday. Criteria for winning $500 includes high attendance for the organization while also showing school spirit and creativity. Sign-ups begin at tip-off of the women's game and continue until 10 minutes remaining in the first half of the men's game.
 
After winning their first five games, the Sharks (5-1) fell for the first time this season in their last matchup, Nov. 29 against now-No. 19 Union, 83-78. They fell three spots in the USA Today Coaches' poll, and two slots (to No. 3) in the Division II Media Poll, sponsored by D2SIDA.
 
Tampa, also 5-1, won four to start the year before getting upended by Western Washington on the road on Nov. 28, 85-56. They bounced back with a win the following day over Saint Martin's. They had moved up from No. 14 to No. 6 in the coaches' poll, but are now slotted ninth. They are receiving votes in the media poll at this time.
 
The Spartans are led by the reigning SSC Player of the Week, Juliana Cavallaro, whose 15.2 points per game and 8.5 rebounds a contest are best on the team and fourth and third in the conference, respectively. Post player Aisha Rodney leads the conference in field goal shooting at 71.4 percent, and her free throw mark of 88 percent is fifth in the league.
 
The Sharks have three league leaders. Monaye Merritt (R-Jr., Philadelphia) is tops in both assists (5.0) and steals (3.7), the latter mark 14th in all of DII. Jasmine Wilkins (R-Sr., Miami) is tied for first in blocked shots (2.0), and her field goal percentage of 68.1 is second in both the conference and in the NCAA. Kayla Wright (So., Lauderhill, Fla.) is fifth in that same category in the SSC at 65.2 percent, which is 11th in DII.
 
These two rivals have had a storied recent past. In 2012-13, the Sharks had their last road win over a ranked opponent by topping the Spartans in Tampa, 68-61. They finished off the season sweep later that season with a 66-56 win at the NSU Arena. Last season, the Spartans won both regular season meetings, but the Sharks exacted a bit of revenge in the SSC Championship game, winning 64-55.
 
Just eight days later, the two teams met at the NSU Arena in the South Region Championship, with the Sharks hanging on for a three-point win, 56-54. Richelle Carach's lay-in with 33 seconds left gave NSU a one-point lead, and on the ensuing UT possession, she took a charge to give her team the ball back with 6.1 seconds left. Amanda Burakoski made two free throws with 5.0 seconds left to clinch the victory, sending NSU to the Elite Eight and ending Tampa's season.
 
Overall, Tampa leads the series 22-9, but the Sharks have won six of the last eight, all coming during head coach LeAnn Freeland's tenure with the squad. This will be the first regular season matchup for NSU against a top-10 opponent since Nov. 10, 2013, when they defeated Stonehill, 96-77.

The Sharks would also love to build on last year's conference opener, when they routed Florida Southern, 110-65. In that game, they set school records in points scored, field goal percentage (.645) and 3-pointers made (19).
 
Tune in for live streaming for this and the 4 p.m. men's game between these two schools HERE. Live stats for the women's game will be found HERE.