CLEVELAND, Miss. – A late night in the GSC/SSC Crossover Challenge saw the Sharks fall to host Delta State, breaking a second-half Sharks lead on a quick-scoring fourth quarter, 78-85, at Walter Sillers Coliseum in Cleveland, Miss. on Saturday evening.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
FINAL: L, 78-85
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern Sharks (0-2), Delta State Statesmen (2-0)
LOCATION: Walter Sillers Coliseum | Cleveland, Miss.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
1ST QUARTER | Tipping off over a half-hour late due to double overtime in the Barry/Union game, it was beyond the 7:00-mark when the Sharks knocked down their first field goal, granting Delta State the opportunity for a seven-point advantage early. With just three NSU free throws and a layup on the board, the DSU lead grew to nine before the sharks cut the deficit to five on more free throws, and closed the quarter with a Claire McMahon three-pointer, trailing 20-15.
 
2ND QUARTER | The second period was much more offensively friendly for the Sharks, who knocked down the three unanswered scoring possessions to take a 21-20 lead on a Jordan Tully layup with 8:10 remaining. Three ties and four lead changes later, the Sharks were holding their own in maintaining a single possession game with an Esabelle Levine split 1-and-1 to make it 37-35 at the break.
 
3RD QUARTER | The game's fourth tie at 9:35 in the second half on yet another Tully layup marked the start of a big offensive period for NSU. Although DSU managed to swing the game back and forth over the subsequent four minutes, the Sharks took control on an Iva Ilic three-pointer – just the second of the game – to go on top 51-49. Another pair from Tully and a three from Levine granted the Sharks their largest lead at 1:32 and Claire McMahon gave NSU a three-point advantage with a layup and one in the closing seconds, up 61-58.
 
4TH QUARTER | The Statesmen augmented the pace and increased pressure in the final period and launched an 11-0 run after Tully put up the first points of the quarter. Again the Sharks rallied with a pair of threes from Ivic, but DSU's nine-point swing across two of the final three minutes put the game out of reach after Tully fouled out. Reaching an advantage as many as 13, DSU pulled out the 85-78 win.
 
INSIDE THE STATS:
 

• Tully was an offensive focus much of the game and scored just one point shy of her career high at 25 points on 12-of-15 (80 percent) shooting, grabbing just two boards. Despite her heavy presence across the first three, she scored two points in the fourth quarter.
• Ilic smashed her career high with 21 points, including 4-for-8 from behind the arc and knocking down every long ball of her night in the second half.
• An offensive force in the first half, McMahon was also in double figures at 14 points, hitting 4-for-7 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 from the line.
• Although offensively limited Hailey Conley paced the Sharks on the glass with a career-best 10 rebounds, barely missing a double-double on a career-high nine assists.
• The glass was a big factor in the outcome, as DSU outrebounded the Sharks 42-28, as NSU held the upper hand in field goal shooting (54 percent), three-point shooting (47 percent) and free throw shooting (78 percent). The Statesmen also collected 15 steals off NSU's 26 turnovers, while only yielding 14 of their own.

 
UP NEXT:
A small early-season break for the Sharks ends on Monday, Nov. 18 when NSU takes on Bentley at Rick Case Arena in the home opener at 5:30 p.m.
 
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