FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern women's basketball team struggled offensively in its final game of the Thanksgiving Classic, falling to Lee University, 71-49, on Saturday afternoon in the Rick Case Arena.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
FINAL: L, 49-71
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern (4-2), Lee Flames (5-1)
LOCATION: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
1ST QUARTER | Down 4-2 in the start of the first, a layups by
Cheray Saunders and
Alison Hughes gave the Sharks a 6-4 lead, before the Flames exploded for an 18-0 run to grab a 22-6 lead at the end of the frame.
2ND QUARTER | Lee continued to lay on the offense in the second quarter, outscoring the Sharks 20-6, ending with a 42-12 advantage heading into the break. Saunders was able to put up three more points, collecting seven of NSU's 12 in the half.
3RD QUARTER | The Sharks did not give up and saw its offense improve in the third quarter, outscoring the Flames 15-12 in the third quarter. Hughes grabbed five points off a layup and a three-pointer in her four minutes of play while Saunders connected on two from the field to add four points. NSU converted on 46.2 percent of shots from the field compared to Lee's 40.0 percent.
4TH QUARTER | NSU's dedication down the stretch did not falter as the Sharks played their best ball of the game in the final frame. Outscoring the Flames 22-17, and shooting a game-high 62.5 percent from the field cut the deficit by 13 points to end the game. Coming off the bench,
Taylor Smith tallied a career-high 10 points, leading all players in the fourth quarter.
INSIDE THE STATS:
- Saunders led NSU with 13 points, shooting 6-of-10 from the field.
- Smith joined Saunders in double-digits, tallying a career-high 10 points on 2-of-4 shooting from the field and 6-of-7 from the line.
- Skyla Osceola and Hughes each recorded seven points for the Sharks.
- Megan Piggott pulled down three boards with three points and two steals, while Amanda Tivenius had a team-high five rebounds.
- Off the bench, the Sharks tallied 22 points to Lee's 17 and outscored them off turnovers as well, 22-15.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- Smith not only tallied a career-high in points, but also in minutes, field goals made and free throws made.
- Today was the second time the Flames and the Sharks faced off. The series is now tied at 1-1.
UP NEXT
The Sharks will hit the road and return to Sunshine State Conference play this upcoming Saturday, Dec. 2, traveling to Lakeland, Fla. to take on the Florida Southern Mocs at 5:30 p.m.
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_WBasketball.
