FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Balanced scoring was the name of the game as the No. 4 Nova Southeastern University women's basketball team held off Lynn in their 2015-16 Sunshine State Conference opener on Wednesday night, 67-58.
 
The Sharks (3-0, 1-0 SSC) and Fighting Knights (0-3, 0-1 SSC) played even through two quarters, with the home team ahead by a 35-31 halftime margin. But the locker room break proved fruitful for NSU, as they scored the first nine points after intermission while smothering Lynn into a 0-for-9 start to the half.
 
True to form, the four baskets were scored by four different Sharks, giving NSU a 46-31 lead. Lynn was able to finally break through at the 5:51 mark in the third, but the lead stayed at least double digits the remainder of the frame. All told, the Shark advantage in the third quarter was 22-12.
 
It was still a 12-point lead with 7:36 left in the game, 60-48, but the Fighting Knights scored the next eight to create some late drama, keeping the Sharks scoreless for over six minutes of gametime. Two Lynn free throws with 2:01 left cut it to 60-56, but Ida Krogh (Sr., Aarhus, Denmark) got a clutch layin at the 1:18 mark, starting a stretch in which NSU scored seven of the game's final nine points for the 'W.'
 
Six Sharks had seven points or more in the game. Krogh was just a basket away from a double-double, with eight points and 10 rebounds. Taylor Buie (R-Jr., Puyallup, Wash.) paced the squad with 14 points, followed by Kayla Wright's (Jr., Lauderhill, Fla.) 12, shooting 6-for-10 in 11 minutes off the bench. Molly Blomer (Sr., West Chester, Ohio) and Monaye Merritt (R-Sr., Philadelphia) each had 10, combining to go 10-for-12 from the free throw line. Adding seven points off the bench was Katie Barnard (R-So., Granger, Ind.).
 
The Sharks vastly outrebounded their neighbors to the north, 47-34. Besides Krogh's 10, Wright had seven, Blomer six and Merritt five. Though NSU forced only 10 Lynn turnovers, they capitalized on them, outscoring the Fighting Knights in points-off-TO, 19-15. Just as in the first two wins, bench scoring was heavily in NSU's favor, 30-17, and six Sharks combined for eight blocked shots in the contest.

"We are happy to open the conference season with a win and a strong rebounding performance, however, I didn't think we gave 100 percent effort the entire game," said head coach LeAnn Freeland. "Lynn did a good job keeping us out of rhythm on the offensive end and outhustled us at times throughout the game." 
 
After the Fighting Knights made nearly half their shots in the first half (48.3), the Shark defense tightened to the tune of a 25.0 percent Lynn line in the final two quarters, a combined 10-of-40. Lynn was only 2-of-18 in total from 3-point range in the game, 11.1 percent. They were led in scoring by Tifani Kerrison with a game-high 17 points. Shattoria Baker added 11 and Brekia Henderson nine.
 
The Sharks have their first road game of the year this upcoming Saturday, at the Saint Leo Lions at 2 p.m., the first of two in a row in-conference. The next home matchup is scheduled for the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 27 against Washburn.

"Great teams play every possession and we are still working on this as a team," said Freeland. "Every SSC game is a battle and we must bring the energy an effort for 40 minutes. We look forward to getting back on the court Saturday, with a greater sense of urgency."