FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Opening competition in its annual NSU Thanksgiving Classic, the Nova Southeastern women's basketball team fell 79-68 at the hands of the 12th-ranked Virginia Union Lady Panthers on Friday afternoon in the Rick Case Arena.  
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
FINAL: L, 68-79
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern University Sharks (2-2), No. 12 Virginia Union Lady Panthers (4-0)
LOCATION: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.   
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
1ST QUARTER | The Panthers quickly jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first 30 seconds of play before a three-pointer by Alison Hughes cut the visiting team's lead back down to one. Consecutive buckets by VUU's Nicole Floyd pushed the deficit to five (8-3) at the 8:17 mark before back-to-back treys by Hailey Conley gave NSU its first lead of the game, 9-8. The quarter saw four more ties, with 15-15 on the scoreboard at the end of the frame.
 
2ND QUARTER | A three-pointer by Hughes kickstarted the Sharks' highest scoring quarter of the game, before a tie and three lead changes occurred in the first 2:14 of the quarter. A layup by Katie Barnard put the Sharks back on top, 23-22, at the 7:46 mark before a three by Conley and two made free throws by Maria Bardeeva gave NSU its largest lead of the game at 28-22. The Panthers started to chip away at the Sharks' lead, taking the lead at the 4:18 mark, 31-30. The advantage stayed on Virginia Union's side until a free throw by Bardeeva gave NSU a one-point edge, 37-36. A layup by VUU's Tamaria Thomas with 22 seconds left looked like the visitors would be taking the lead into the break, but a bucket by Iva Ilic at the buzzer gave NSU the advantage, 39-38.
 
3RD QUARTER | A quarter plagued with turnovers by the Sharks started with a scoreless five minutes of play for the home team before Claire McMahon sunk a pair of free throws to bring NSU back within three, 44-41, with 5:02 on the board. The Sharks were unable to stop the Panther offense as the ultimately outscored the Sharks 17-7 en route to taking a 55-46 lead into the final frame.
 
4TH QUARTER | A 12-3 run by Virginia Union in the first 3:43 of the fourth quarter gave the visiting squad its largest lead of the day, 67-49. VUU continued to stay out in front by double-digits throughout the remainder of the frame, but a three-pointer by Hughes was the closest the Sharks would get to bringing it back down, cutting the deficit to 10 (72-62) at the 2:27 mark. Virginia Union went on to outscore Nova Southeastern 7-6 in the remaining time, earning their 79-68 win.
 
INSIDE THE STATS:
 

• Conley led all Sharks in scoring with 17 points, adding four assists and four rebounds.
• Hughes had her fourth-consecutive outing with double-digit scoring, recording 12 points after going 4-of-8 from three-point range.
• Ilic also tallied 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field.
• In her first game as a Shark, McMahon registered eight points and pulled down eight boards to go along with five assists and five blocks.
• Bardeeva proved reliable at the free throw line, connecting on 5-of-6 from the line for five of her seven points. She also had six rebounds.

 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
 

• McMahon's rebounds, assists and blocks were all team-highs. Her eight rebounds and five blocks  were also the most tallied by a Shark in a single game so far this season.
• Ilic's 12 points were a Shark career-high.
• Today was the first time the Panthers and the Sharks have squared off in program history.

 
 
UP NEXT:
 
The Sharks will conclude play in its annual Thanksgiving Classic tomorrow afternoon against the Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m.
 
 
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
 
Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_WBasketball.