FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Despite leading for only 2:22, it was the last two minutes that made all the difference for the Nova Southeastern University Sharks women's basketball team, as they ended the game on a 11-2 run en route to a 75-66 victory over the Rollins Tars at the Rick Case Arena on Wednesday evening.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
FINAL: W, 75-66
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern (11-12, 7-10 SSC), Rollins Tars (12-12, 7-11 SSC)
LOCATION: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
1ST QUARTER | The game started all Rollins, as they scored the first eight points. After starting 0-for-4 from the field, the Sharks made their first bucket at the 6:43 mark and got within one possession on a 3-pointer by
Alison Hughes just inside the halfway point. The Tars scored the next five before back-to-back 3's by
Christen Prasse and
Hailey Conley brought them within three points, but Rollins scored four more in the final minute to lead 19-12 at quarter's end.
2ND QUARTER | The Tars built their lead up to a game-high 12 points just 3:30 into the second, with three from beyond the arc as part of an 11-3 run. The Sharks showed their resilience, however, by responding with ten in a row of their own, punctuated by back-to-back 3's by Hughes and
Skyla Osceola, to get within two points once again. Neither team scored for the next 2:30, until the Tars hit their fourth 3-pointer of the quarter, ending their own 4:30 scoreless streak. The two teams alternated buckets in the last 75 seconds and the Sharks were close at halftime, down 37-32.
3RD QUARTER | The Sharks hit on another pair of 3-pointers, this time by
Mary Hirt and Conley, to finally tie the game at 39-all. The teams went back and forth for a while, with a Prasse layup and free throw making it a one-point game, at 45-44, before the Tars scored seven in a row. The Sharks got six back to end the quarter, though, including Conley's fourth of the game from long distance as the clock ran out, and the Sharks were within one possession for the seventh time, down just 52-50 heading into the final ten minutes.
4TH QUARTER | The Sharks were within one possession twice more before finally taking their first lead of the game at the 5:52 mark on a layup by Hughes and the ensuing free throw, but it didn't last very long, as Rollins hit a 3-pointer less than 20 seconds later to go back up by one point. Once again, the Sharks got within two points twice, before
Cheray Saunders pickpocketed her Tars opponent and took it to the house for an easy layup to put her team ahead by one. The Tars tied it at 64 on the back end of a pair of foul shots, but Prasse gave the Sharks the lead for good with a layup and 3-pointer. Up by five with less than a minute left, Saunders and Hughes combined to go 6-of-6 at the line to put the game on ice.
INSIDE THE STATS:
- Hughes led all Sharks with 25 points, adding three boards and two steals, her fourth 20+ point performance of the season.
- Conley, Saunders and Prasse all joined Hughes in double figures, combining for 42 points with five field goals each off the bench. For Conley, her 14 points, five field goals and four 3-pointers were all career highs.
- The Sharks' bench outscored the Tars' 47-10 in the game and 18-0 in the third quarter, as they were responsible for all of the 18 points scored. Conley, Prasse, Hirt and Saunders combined to shoot 6-of-12 from the field in the third, including 3-of-5 from deep, in just 24 minutes of action.
- The Tars' press coverage defense gave the Sharks fits in the first quarter, forcing seven turnovers, most on in-bounds plays. However, they adapted to commit just eight turnovers for the rest of the game.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- After struggling on the road in the Sharks' last two games, shooting just 2-of-12 from the field and 0-of-4 from 3-point range, Hughes's 25 points were a return to form and her second-highest total of the season after her 28 against Shaw back on December 19th.
- Hughes dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring the Tars 17-14 by herself. She was 4-of-5 from the field, 2-of-3 from 3-point range and a perfect 7-for-7 at the line.
- Hughes is no stranger to big fourth quarters in the Rick Case Arena. She has notched double-digits in the fourth of each of the Sharks last three home games, and in five home games in 2018, she is shooting 18-of-23 from the field (78.5%), 13-of-17 from long distance (76.5%) and a perfect 9-of-9 at the foul line, while averaging 11.6 points in 9.4 minutes per quarter.
UP NEXT
The Sharks will hit the road once again on Saturday, this time making the quick trip down to Miami Shores to take on Barry at 2:00 p.m. The game will be broadcasted live on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app as part of the NCAA Division II Basketball Showcase.
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_WBasketball.
