FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 18 Nova Southeastern University women's basketball team looks to make the third time a charm at the NCAA national Elite Eight, tipping off the very first game of the showcase in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the Sanford Pentagon on Tuesday at 1 p.m. EST.
 
(Fans on or near the NSU Fort Lauderdale campus can attend a watch party held live at the Flight Deck in the Don Taft University Center, beginning at 1 p.m.)
 
The Sharks (27-5), winners of a season-best 11 in a row, are just the sixth women's team since 1995 (when the NCAA DII field expanded to 64 teams) to win at least three straight region championships. They have advanced one more step each of the last two seasons – to the Elite Eight round for the first time ever in 2012-13 and to the national semifinals (Final Four) last season – and now have their sights set on the championship. To get there, they have to get past the champions of the Atlantic Region, and top seed from that bracket, No. 14 California University of Pennsylvania (29-4).
 
Over their win streak, NSU has only given up 56.3 points per game, with just one opponent scoring more than 62 in any of those games. The Shark defense has held opposing teams to 38.9 percent shooting overall, 30.9 percent 3-point shooting, and has forced over 15 turnovers per contest.
 
During that same time frame, individually, Jasmine Wilkins (R-Sr., Miami) is averaging 16.8 points and 9.1 rebounds a night. Fellow senior Danielle Robinson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) has made 40 3-pointers and 78.4 percent of her free throws over that span, while scoring 13.5 per contest. Each were named to the South Region's All-Tournament team following the championship win over homestanding Union.
 
Not to be outdone, the Sharks' three-headed point guard unit – Jessica Valley (R-Jr., Lafayette, Ind.), Alexis Murphy (Jr., Carlisle, Ohio) and Monaye Merritt (R-Jr., Philadelphia) – have scored a combined 28 points, dished out 11.5 assists, and pulled down 13.0 rebounds per contest over the streak, with Valley next on the team in that latter category at 6.6. She has also shot 47.7 percent overall (second-highest), Murphy trails only Robinson with 24 made 3-pointers, and Merritt has made 75 percent of her free throws, also only behind Robinson.
 
The Vulcans themselves have a seven-game unbeaten streak, which included the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament title after finishing the regular season as the No. 2 seed in the PSAC's West Division. They had three close games in the Atlantic Region (winning by an average of six points), including an overtime win against Bloomsburg in the title game, to advance to their fifth-ever Elite Eight and first since 2008-09. They won the 2004 women's DII National Championship.
 
Cal U is led by sophomore guard Miki Glenn, top scorer at 16.2 points per game and a member of the All-PSAC West First Team as well as the Atlantic Region tournament's Most Outstanding Player. She is 22nd in the nation in steals at 2.7 and second among all shooters making it to the Elite Eight with a free throw percentage of 84.7. Senior forward Emma Mahady made First Team All-Conference as well, while senior guard Kaitlynn Fratz was Second Team. They average 13.8 and 14.2 points per game, respectively.
 
Also honored by the conference was PSAC West Freshman of the Year Seairra Barrett, as well as PSAC West Coach of the Year Jess Strom.
 
Tipoff on Tuesday from Sioux Falls is 1 p.m. Fort Lauderdale time (noon local). The winner of the contest will take on the advancing team from second quarterfinal, either No. 5 West Texas A&M (30-2) or No. 9 Emporia State (27-4), on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The National Championship game is this upcoming Friday, March 27, at 8 p.m. EST.