FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern women's basketball team struggled offensively as they fell to Florida Southern at the Rick Case Arena on Saturday evening by a score of 68-44.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Souther 68. Nova Southeastern 44
Records: Nova Southeastern (4-3, 2-1 SSC), Florida Southern Moccasins (7-1, 3-0 SSC)
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
1ST Quarter | Despite each team making just one of their first five field goal attempts, Florida Southern opened the game with a 9-2 lead after four minutes thanks to a perfect 5-for-5 at the line. The Sharks rallied to get within two points three times the rest of the quarter, but were unable to get over the hump of tying the game, trailing 19-13 after 10 minutes of play.
 
2^nd Quarter | The Sharks were down by two again less than a minute into the second period, but that would be the last time they were within a bucket as the Moccasins used a 13-4 run to take their first double-digit lead halfway through the quarter. NSU got the margin back down into single-digit territory, but only temporarily; a three-pointer by Camille Giardina with 2:20 left in the half made it a 10-point game before the Sharks went into the break trailing 41-28.
 
3^rd Quarter | Each team was 6-of-14 from the field and 2-for-2 at the free throw line for an even 14-14 quarter, while combining to go 0-for-8 from downtown.
 
4^th Quarter | The Mocs kept the Sharks from making any headway in the final period, scoring the first nine points, as NSU dropped its first Sunshine State Conference contest in three tries.
 
INSIDE THE STATS:

•  Despite logging just five total minutes in the team's first five games, Taylor Smith scored 10 points for the second consecutive game, leading the team against the Mocs. She's 6-of-10 from the field and 8-of-9 at the line in those two games, playing just 26 total minutes.
• The bench provided 35 of 44 points for the Sharks in the effort.
• Anja Fuchs-Robetin and Camille Giardina, who came into the game averaging 19 and 17 points, respectively, both had double-digit scoring totals for the Mocs. Giardina finished with a game-high 21 points, while Fuchs-Robetin had 16 at the final whistle.
• Smith also nabbed six steals, the team's most since Christen Prasse and Cheray Saunders each tallied six in December of last season.

 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

•  Bree Matthews and Destiny Walters each made their first career starts in a Shark uniform. For Matthews, a junior transfer from Southeastern Illinois College, it was her first action of the season. Walters, meanwhile, had previously earned 13 total minutes in three games off the bench. 

UP NEXT:
The Sharks will have a week to regroup before their next game, hosting the Florida Tech Panthers in more SSC action next Saturday at 2:00 p.m. For live updates, follow along on Twitter @NSU_WBasketball.