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Nova Southeastern University Athletics

OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
team
71
Winner Nova Southeastern Nova 19-11
66
Union (TN) Union 27-4
Winner
Nova Southeastern Nova
19-11
71
Final
66
Union (TN) Union
27-4
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Nova Southeastern Nova 19 16 17 19 71
Union (TN) Union 17 16 13 20 66

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Sharks Stun Union in First Round of NCAA Tournament

NSU upsets No.13 Union in 71-66 battle

LAKELAND, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern women's basketball team's offense came out of the gates hot on Friday afternoon, upsetting the No. 13 Union Bulldogs, 71-66, in the first round of the NCAA Div. II National Tournament. The Sharks, seeded No. 7 in the South Region, took advantage of a spread offense to top the No. 2 Bulldogs, with three players posting double-digits. With the win, NSU's NCAA crown hunt continues, and will compete against West Florida in the round of 32 on Saturday evening at 5:00 p.m.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
FINAL: W, 71-66
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern University Sharks (19-11), No. 13 Union University Bulldogs (27-4)
LOCATION: George W. Jenkins Fieldhouse | Lakeland, Fla.    
FOLLOW US: @NSUSHARKS on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
1ST QUARTER | The two teams were neck-and-neck through the first half of the first quarter, exchanging baskets before the Bulldogs took a 13-10 lead off a three by Tiffany Rechis and a layup by Jada Smith. The Sharks responded with a 9-0 run, capped with a trey by Megan Piggott, to take a 19-13 edge. Back-to-back buckets by UU's Smith ended the scoring of the first frame, keeping the Sharks on top by two points, however, 19-17.
 
2ND QUARTER | A 5-0 start by the Bulldogs put the home team on the scoreboard back out in front by three, 22-19. That didn't cool the Sharks, as a split pair of free throws by Jordan Tully ignited an 8-0 run to put NSU back on top, 27-22. Union was able to tie the game once more at the 2:10 mark with a three-pointer by Morgan Martin, but a layup by Cheray Saunders ensured a Nova Southeastern advantage at the break, 35.33.
 
3RD QUARTER | Similar to the start of the first period, the game saw multiple ties before a 5-0 run by Union put the lead on their side. The Sharks responded with a 5-0 run of their own, coming from a layup by Katie Barnard and a three by Christen Prasse. Union grabbed the lead one last time in the third quarter with a layup by Smith at the 4:17 mark, before layups by Barnard and Tully put NSU back on top. The Sharks would hold onto their lead for the remaining three-plus minutes, closing out with an 8-2 run to take a six-point edge (52-46) into the final frame.
 
4TH QUARTER | In the most exciting quarter of the evening, the Bulldogs fought back, utilizing a 15-2 overwhelming run over the first 4:36 to take a seven-point lead, 61-54. Almost a minute and a half later, Hughes used a three-pointer to spark an NSU comeback, as the Sharks took off on a 9-0 run to put the advantage back on their side, 63-61, with 2:05 to go. The game saw one more tie at 63-63, before a trey by Mikayla Thompson put the lead on NSU's side, where it remained until the end.
 
INSIDE THE STATS:
 
  • Tully led all Sharks with her 15 points, shooting 7-of-9 from the field. She also added a team-high three blocks and pulled down five rebounds, two offensive.
  • Prasse notched 10 points with six assists, adding four rebounds. She also made two steals.
  • Joining Tully and Prasse in double figures was Bardeeva, who also tallied six rebounds, four on the offensive side, a team-high.
  • Thompson also pulled down six boards, three offensive/three defensive, while totaling seven points.
  • Hughes and Barnard registered eight points each, as Hughes also dished out three assists.
  • Claire McMahon added five rebounds, four assists and two blocks, while Saunders supplied three assists and made two steals.
  • As a team, the Sharks outshot the Bulldogs, 48.4 percent to 42.4 percent, and put up 29 points off the bench compared to their four. NSU also tallied 16 second-chance points to UU's four.
 
 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
 
  • Today's win was NSU's first win over Union since Mar. 16, 2015, when the Sharks topped the Bulldogs to advance to the Elite Eight.
  • The Sharks hold a 12-5 record in NCAA Tournament play after today's victory.
 
 
UP NEXT:
 
The Sharks will continue play in the NCAA Tournament tomorrow evening, taking on the No. 3-seeded West Florida Argonauts. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m. UWF defeated fellow Sunshine State Conference member Eckerd, 76-50, in the first round of the tournament on Friday.
 
 
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
 
Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_WBasketball.  
 
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