FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – For the 13^th consecutive year, the Nova Southeastern women's basketball team will enter the first round of the Sunshine State Conference Tournament this Wednesday evening, hosting the Tampa Spartans at 7:00 p.m. in the Rick Case Arena.
 
With a 17-10 overall record and a 12-6 conference record, the Sharks have grabbed the No. 4 seed in the tournament. The Spartans finished the regular season 16-10 overall and 11-7 against league opponents, earning the No. 5 spot directly behind NSU. Wednesday's game will serve as the seventh time the two teams have met in the SSC tournament, with the record tied at 3-3. In the five times NSU has hosted Tampa in the tournament, the Sharks hold the slight edge at 3-2.
 
This season, the Sharks and the Spartans sparred twice, both times ending with victories for Nova Southeastern. On Nov. 19, NSU kicked off road-SSC play against Tampa with a 58-52 win before hosting the Spartans on Jan. 25, when the Sharks emerged with a 66-56 victory. The last time Tampa defeated NSU was in the 2015-16 SSC Championship, when UT stopped the Sharks from earning their third-straight conference crown with a 73-63 defeat.
 
The Sharks are paced by starting guard Christen Prasse, who after back-to-back 20+ performances, is averaging 12.0 points per game. Prasse also adds 4.5 assists a game, which remains a league-high. The next two leading scorers, Megan Piggott and Samantha Logan, have proven throughout the season to be a threat from deep as Piggott is 40.2 percent from beyond the arc and Logan connects 35.7 percent of the time, recording a team-high 60 treys. Piggott holds the role as not only the team's strongest shooter from the line, but the conference as a whole, as she is an overwhelming 85.0 percent from the charity stripe. Logan also holds a No. 1 spot in the conference with her 8.8 boards per game.
 
The Spartans are led by the third-highest scorer in the league, Elena de Alfredo, who averages 15.6 points a game. Joining de Alfredo in doubles by Karma Jeremie with 13.3 a game and Faith Sanders, who averages 11.4 a game. As a whole, Tampa leads the conference in shooting from the field and from three-point territory, connecting 48.0 percent and 42.9 percent of the time, respectively.
 
Despite having to overcome multiple obstacles this season, head coach LeAnn Freeland-Curry has high hopes for this upcoming postseason game. "Our team had to be resilient throughout the season due to the unprecedented number of injuries to nearly our entire roster," explained Freeland-Curry. "The players' collective grit and determination enabled us to secure a first round home SSC tournament game, as well as a solid region ranking. Our staff is proud of how our players responded this season and look forward to post season action starting with Tampa this Wednesday."
 
Game ticket prices remains the same for this SSC Championship matchup: $10 for general admission and free for anyone under six or with a valid NSU SharkCard.