FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University women's basketball team aims for their third straight Sunshine State Conference tournament title, with the defense beginning Wednesday night on their home pine, hosting Lynn at the NSU Arena beginning at 7 p.m.

The Sharks (22-5, 13-3 SSC) are looking also for their second straight dual championship, winning both the SSC regular season and tournament titles as they did a year ago. To do so, first they'll need to dispatch of eight-seeded Lynn (4-22, 2-14 SSC), a team they've defeated nine straight times, their longest streak against any opponent.
 
This season, the two final scores were 67-58 in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 18, in the two teams' conference opener; and 68-51 in Boca Raton on Jan. 27. The last win in the series (now led by NSU 19-14) by the Fighting Knights came on Jan. 7, 2012 during head coach LeAnn Freeland's first year in Fort Lauderdale. The score was 58-56 in favor of the visitors.
 
All-time in the SSC Championship, the Sharks are 14-8 with three titles (2007-08 and the last two seasons). They have won their last six games, and seven of eight, in tournament play, with back-to-back tourney MVP's in Taylor Buie (R-Jr., Puyallup, Wash.) and Danielle Robinson.
 
The Sharks are paced by the inside-out combo of juniors Kayla Wright (Lauderhill, Fla.) and Buie, combining for 29.4 points per night, and ranking third and sixth, respectively, in the league in scoring. Wright leads the SSC in field goal percentage; Buie is third in 3-pointers made per game and fourth in percentage from that range.
 
Point guard Monaye Merritt (R-Sr., Philadelphia, Pa.) continues to be the team's floor general while consistently flirting with triple-doubles. She comes in Wednesday – after a line of 14 points/10 rebounds/seven assists against Florida Southern – with averages in those three categories of 10.2, 6.1 and 5.1 (the conference leader in the latter).
 
The remainder of this season's most common starting five is seniors Molly Blomer (West Chester, Ohio) and Ida Krogh (Aarhus, Denmark). Blomer has broke out this season for 9.6 points per game and is second to only Buie in both 3-pointers made (63 to 67) and percentage (41.4 to 41.6). Krogh is another capable ballhandler and scoring threat, at 7.9 points and the team's second-best assist rate of 2.6.
 
Guard Alexis Murphy (Sr., Carlisle, Ohio) and forward Katie Barnard (R-So., Granger, Ind.) are often among the first off the bench, joined recently by guards Christen Prasse (So., Naperville, Ill.) and Octavia Wilson (Jr., Nicholasville, Ky.). Sarah Kelly (Fr., Huntington, W.Va.) started 19 of 23 games in this, her first season, making nearly 50 percent of her shots while ranking among the team leaders in minutes per game.
 
The Fighting Knights are paced by two seniors in scoring: Charla Nelson-James (12.0) and Tiffani Kerrison (10.6), with four of the next five on the ledger seniors as well. Nelson-James is also among the league leaders in rebounds (third) and field goal percentage (fourth).
 
Game ticket prices remains the same for this SSC Championship matchup: $7 for adults, $5 for visiting students and senior citizens, and free for anyone under 12 or with a valid NSU SharkCard.