SAINT LEO, Fla. – Nova Southeastern's women's basketball team returned to its winning ways on Wednesday evening, grabbing a 78-66 victory over Sunshine State Conference opponent Saint Leo. The Sharks improved to 9-5 overall and 5-1 in conference play while SLU fell to 5-7 overall and still has yet to win an SSC game (0-5).
 
The Sharks started off slow, falling behind 22-14 after the first quarter. Despite shooting 50 percent from the field, NSU let the Lions go up by as many as 10 points (22-12) and could not recover before the time ran out.
 
Unlike the first quarter, NSU had a strong start in the second, using a 9-2 run to cut the deficit to just one point, 24-23 at the 6:41 mark. Less than a minute later, Katie Barnard used a jumper to take NSU's first lead of the game, 25-24. After nearly two minute of scoreless play, the two teams exchanged the lead twice before NSU got back on top 36-33 with a pair of free throws by Megan Piggott. With one second left on the scoreboard, SLU's Kamryn Kimmel knotted the score once more (36-36) with a buzzer-beating three.
 
After the break, the Sharks fell behind as Saint Leo took off on a 6-0 run to grab a 42-36 lead, forcing NSU to call timeout. Nova Southeastern then used a 7-1 run of their own, capped with a three by Samantha Logan to tie the game, 43-43, at the 3:42 mark. The rest of the quarter saw five lead changes, but it was the Sharks who ended up on top, 50-49, heading into the final frame.
 
NSU pulled away at the start of the fourth, utilizing a 7-0 run to grab a 57-49 advantage. The Sharks continued to put on the offensive pressure, maintaining the lead and going up by as many as 11 points (65-54) with another trey by Logan, her fifth of the night. A pair of made free throws by Megan Piggott with 0:23 left gave NSU its largest lead of the game (12 points) and served as either team's last score as the Sharks took the overall win, 78-66.
 
Piggott, once again, shined for NSU offensively, tallying 26 points, making it six straight games with double-digit scoring. The sophomore connected on 13-of-15 free throws and also added three blocks and three steals. Logan was on fire on Wednesday night as well, registering 15 points on 62.5 percent (5-of-8) shooting from beyond the arc and field, while also recording 10 boards to seal the double-double. Octavia Wilson joined the two in double-digit scoring, tallying 11 points to go along with seven assists and seven rebounds, both season highs. Christen Prasse also had seven points, eight boards and six assists.
 
The Sharks will head back home and continue SSC play as they play host to Florida Southern on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Live coverage can be found at NSUSharks.com.