TAMPA, Fla. – It was a clash of the top-two preseason ranked teams in the SSC and it did not disappoint. Hailey Conley finished with a team high 22 points as her three pointer with 0:06 remaining in the fourth tied it up at 70-70, only to have the Spartans win it on the final possession, 72-70, on Saturday afternoon in both teams' first conference matchup.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
SCORE: L, 72-70
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern University Sharks (1-3, 0-1 SSC), Tampa University Spartans (2-1, 1-0 SSC)
LOCATION: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla.  
FOLLOW US: @NSUSHARKS on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

1ST QUARTER | For the second straight game, it was Claire McMahon who opened the scoring for the Sharks after a sweet spin move gave her seperation to finish with the left handed layup. Following a gorgeous feed from Conley, Jordan Tully finished it off inside to give the Sharks a narrow 4-2 lead. The Spartans would then go on a 6-0 scoring run, before a layup by McMahon ended the streak with Tampa still up by two. After both teams traded field goals, Conley knocked down a three at the end of the shot clock, then followed it up with a steal that was later capped off by an open transition three pointer in the corner by Makenna Drabick. This would give the Sharks back the lead at the 4:00 mark, 14-12. NSU would then hold the Spartans scoreless for the last 2:23 of the first quarter to lead it 22-16, after 10 minutes of play.

2ND QUARTER | Both teams were held scoreless in the first two minutes of play before the Spartans answered with a three and a jumper to open up with a 5-0 run. Although the Sharks responded back quickly, five turnovers resulted in an 8-0 run by the Spartans to force head coach LeAnn Freeland-Curry to call a time out at the 2:49 mark. NSU had some clean looks under the basket but failed to convert opportunities they normally knock down and the Spartans took advantage of it, holding the Sharks without a basket for over four minutes. It was not until a layup by Autumn Giles with 0:48 seconds to play in the half that ended the drought, as the Spartans would outscore the Sharks 19-7 in the quarter, aided by nine NSU turnovers, taking a 35-29 lead at the halfway point.

3RD QUARTER | NSU would score on its first two posessions to begin the third, as Iva Ilic made back-to-back layups to cut the defecit to five, 38-33. Over two minutes would pass without a point for either side, until Conley hit another one of her team high six trifectas on the day with 4:47 to play. Tampa would increase their lead back to seven points with 0:53 to play, before Conley drained another two of her eight points in the quarter to bring the Sharks back within five, trailing 57-52.

4TH QUARTER | Continuing to shoot well from beyond the arch, Conley knocked down another three to bring it back to a four point game with 9:15 to play. A layup by Ilic brought it back to a two point game, forcing Tampa to use a timeout at the 7:40 mark. Maria Bardeeva posted up her defender and scored to tie it up at 56-56, with 7:04 to play. The Spartans would respond, but not before the fifth triple of the game by Conley put the Sharks up one 59-58, their first lead since the 5:10 mark of the second frame. Trailing by seven with 2:20 to play, NSU began to mount its comeback after back-to-back layups by Tully pulled the Sharks within three going into the final minute of regulation. The Sharks forced a turnover with 32 seconds to play, but an offensive foul picked up by Tully sent Tampa back to the line with 0:21 to play. The Spartans would miss both free throws, setting up one final possession for the Sharks to tie. A well crafted inbound play was executed to perfection as Sarah Kelly's inbounds pass hit Conley for her sixth triple of the afternoon, tying it up at 70-70. With just 0:06 to play, the Spartans marched down to court and managed to make the final shot of the game, just a second before the buzzer went off at the Bob Martinez Athletics Center, as the Sharks dropped it by a final score of 72-70.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Conley scored a team-high 22 points, including six 3-pointers, and brought down five rebounds.
• Tully contributed with 14 points in the loss, also collecting a steal.
• McMahon compiled a team high seven rebounds, while chipping in with eight points on an efficient 4-for-5 from the field.
• McMahon and Drabick combined for 11 of the teams 22 first quarter points.
• Both teams were dead even on the glass, finishing with 26 rebounds a piece.
• The Sharks bench out scored Tampa's 15-5, highlighted by Bardeeva's six and Drabick's five.
• Although the Sharks shot a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe, the Spartans managed 24 more opportunites (25-32) leading to 25 total points.
• Both teams had 19 turnovers in the game each, while the Spartans capitalized for 22 points off NSU turnovers.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Conley's six 3-pointers made was the highest single-game total of her Sharks career. 
• The Sharks outscored Tampa in three of the four quarters (1ST: 22-16, 3RD: 18-17, 4TH: 23-20).
• The game featured nine lead changes and seven ties.
• Tully has now scored in double-figures in each of the first four games this season.
• The home team has won the past five matchups in this series.

UP NEXT: 
The Sharks will head to Miami Shores, Fla., to take on Daemen and No. 11 Alaska Anchorage in the Barry Thanksgiving Tournament beginning Nov. 29 at 6:00 p.m.
 
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
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