FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 17 Nova Southeastern University women's basketball team can cement the conference's No. 1 seed and outright regular season title if they can pull off a Senior Day victory on Saturday afternoon against Eckerd at the NSU Arena.
The Sharks (21-4, 12-2 SSC) continue to top the Sunshine State Conference standings by two games over 11-4 Florida Tech and 10-4 Florida Southern. Prior to the beginning of Saturday's 2 p.m. game, festivities will be held in honor of the four members of the 2016 Senior Class:
Molly Blomer (West Chester, Ohio),
Ida Krogh (Aarhus, Denmark),
Monaye Merritt (Philadelphia, Pa.) and
Alexis Murphy (Carlisle, Ohio). A win would not only gain those aforementioned milestones for this year's team, but it would also mark the 300th in program history.
NSU was victorious on Wednesday (75-52 over Embry-Riddle), but since it was a non-conference affair, they stayed pat at 12-2 in the SSC standings. They have already gained at least a share of the title, but will be singular champions if they win either of their final two regular season games. Eckerd (12-10, 6-7 SSC), meanwhile, is battling to possibly still host a quarterfinal matchup in the postseason, as they are in fifth, two back in the loss column to 9-5 Barry. They were idle last time out, and have three conference games to go to close out the regular season.
By the slimmest of margins, the Sharks won over Eckerd in January in St. Petersburg, 64-63.
Kayla Wright (Jr., Lauderhill, Fla.) was nearly unstoppable, making 11-of-13 shots in a 26-point effort (in only 19 minutes). Krogh went a flawless 6-of-6 and had 15 points. Victoria Vine led the Tritons with 24, but committed seven of the team's 11 turnovers.
That marked the sixth straight victory in the series for NSU, dating back to a 63-61 loss in Fort Lauderdale on Feb. 6, 2013. Blomer, Murphy and
Taylor Buie (R-Jr. Puyallup, Wash.) were all freshmen in that game, won on a 3-pointer at the buzzer by the Tritons' Taylor Bestry. Kaitlin Jackson is the only Eckerd player still on the roster that appeared in the game for the victorious visitors.
This will be the Sharks' final regular season home game, but they are assured at least one more contest on their NSU Arena home floor, for a quarterfinal hosting slot in the SSC Championships. Their game on Wednesday, March 2, at 7 p.m., will be against either Lynn or Saint Leo. The Fighting Knights are 2-12 with two games left, the Lions 1-12 and have three games remaining.
