LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 18 Nova Southeastern University women's basketball team fell in their regular season finale, as Florida Southern scored the last four points of the game to turn away the Sharks' comeback attempt, 63-60.
 
NSU (22-5, 13-3 SSC) had spent all of the third quarter and most of the fourth trying to overcome what was, at most, a seven-point deficit. Twice it was cut to two, and twice more, was just a one-point margin, before two Kayla Wright (Jr., Lauderhill, Fla.) free throws at 1:53 finally pushed the Sharks ahead for the first time since the opening period (at 12:11), 60-59.
 
Unfortunately, that was the last points that the Sharks scored. Despite the Mocs (23-4, 12-4 SSC) committing a turnover and having their next shot blocked by Monaye Merritt (R-Sr., Philadelphia, Pa.), they regained the advantage on a Jensen Blassage layup with exactly a minute left.
 
After a missed attempt by the Sharks, again it was Merritt coming up with a clean block, but FSC kept possession. On the in-bound, they found Mariah Harris down low, and despite her struggles throughout her Senior Night, she came through with a layup for more cushion to the Mocs' lead, 63-60 at the 14-second mark.
 
Needing a 3-pointer to tie, the Shark attempt with two seconds left was blocked. FSC came up with the rebound, and NSU couldn't commit enough fouls in the remaining time to get the ball back as the Mocs clinched the win.
 
Wright and Merritt were NSU's two top scorers on Saturday, with the former scoring 18, and the latter 14. Merritt added 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season, and had a team-best seven assists against only one turnover as well.
 
Molly Blomer (Sr., West Chester, Ohio) added nine points on three 3's, and Taylor Buie (R-Jr., Puyallup, Wash.) and Ida Krogh (R-Sr., Aarhus, Denmark) each scored seven.
 
Despite the loss, the Sharks stayed just where they were before the game's beginning, as the conference's No. 1 seed and sole 2016 Sunshine State Conference regular season champion. Due to Saint Leo's loss on Saturday, NSU will host Lynn in the quarterfinal round of the SSC Championships. That matchup will take place this Wednesday, March 2, at 7 p.m. at the NSU Arena.