FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – With four players scoring in double-digit figures, and three coming from the bench, the Nova Southeastern women's basketball team earned a 72-68 win over the visiting Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville on Saturday afternoon to close out competition in its annual Thanksgiving Classic.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
FINAL: W, 72-68
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern University Sharks (3-2), Alabama-Huntsville Chargers (1-3)
LOCATION: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
FOLLOW US: @NSUSHARKS on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
HOW IT HAPPENED:
1ST QUARTER | The Chargers were the first to draw blood in the Shark Tank, taking a 4-1 lead before a three pointer by
Alison Hughes knotted the game at the 7:44 mark. The quarter saw three more ties in the next two minutes before a bucket by
Maria Bardeeva pushed the Sharks out in front, 12-10. A layup by
Taylor Smith with 2:10 on the board gave NSU a four-point edge (16-12) before a trey by UAH's Sloan Mann cut the deficit to one point heading into the second quarter.
2ND QUARTER | The second quarter started out with three lead changes and a tie in the first 2:30 before a layup by
Mikayla Thompson gave NSU back the lead, 21-20. The Sharks continued to hold onto that lead for the remainder of the quarter, going up by as many as six points with a layup by
Iva Ilic with 1:18 left on the board. The Chargers didn't let up before the break, however, tallying four unanswered points with a bucket by Baylee Johnson and two made free throws by Emiline Payne, bringing NSU's lead down to two, 32-30, heading into the break.
3RD QUARTER | Tied at 38-38 at the 7:22 mark, an and-one by Hughes lifted the Sharks over the Chargers 41-38. Nova Southeastern stayed out in front for the next four and a half minutes before two from the charity strip by Payne tied the game for the eighth time at 46-46. The Sharks closed out the next 2:51 with a 5-1 run, taking a 51-47 lead into the final frame.
4TH QUARTER | A layup by Ilic kicked off scoring for NSU in its highest scoring quarter, giving the Sharks a six-point lead (53-47) just five seconds in. The Chargers whittled away at NSU's lead, coming within one at 56-55, before Nova Southeastern took off on a 12-4 run, leaving less than a minute on the board. A pair of made free throws by
Katie Barnard at the 0:18 mark gave the Sharks their largest lead of the game, leaving just enough time for UAH to sink back-to-back triples to bring the final score to 72-68 in NSU's favor.
INSIDE THE STATS:
- The Sharks had four players register double digits, with Megan Piggott leading the pack with 11. She also added three rebounds.
- Claire McMahon, Taylor Smith and Maria Bardeeva each tallied 10 points, with McMahon and Smith each adding a team-high six boards. Smith also made two steals.
- Bardeeva was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field, while Smith was solid at 5-of-8.
- Hughes amassed seven points with four rebounds. The senior guard also supplied a team-high three asissts and two steals.
- Ilic chipped in six points with three rebounds while Thompson also had six points and two boards of her own.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- NSU's 41 points from the bench were the most tallied so far this season.
- Tonight's eight turnovers were the fewest made by the Sharks this season.
- The Sharks had four blocks put up on the Chargers compared to their zero.
- Today's win puts the overall series at 3-0 in NSU's favor.
UP NEXT:
The Sharks will kick off Sunshine State Conference play this Wednesday, Nov. 28 against Barry in the Rick Case Arena. Tip off against the Buccaneers is set for 5:30 p.m.
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_WBasketball.
