FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – With both Nova Southeastern men's and women's basketball teams earning their position among the top four teams in the Sunshine State Conference, league championship tournament action will kick off in Rick Case Arena on Wednesday, March 6. In conference quarterfinal action on Wednesday, the Sharks women will host the Embry-Riddle Eagles at 5:30 p.m., while the men will face the Tampa Spartans at 7:30 p.m.
Nova Southeastern will also serve as the host site for the semifinal and final rounds of the Sunshine State Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships, March 9-10 at Rick Case Arena. Nova Southeastern faculty and staff will be admitted to the semifinal and final games at no cost.
For the 15th consecutive year, NSU women's basketball will head into the Sunshine State Conference Tournament. With a 17-10 overall record and 13-7 conference mark, the Sharks have grabbed the No. 4 seed. On the opposite bench at the No. 5 seed, the Eagles finished the regular season at 17-10 as well, with a 12-8 record against league opponents. This is the second year in a row the Sharks and the Eagles will square off in the SSC quarterfinal, as well as their second postseason matchup all-time - as ERAU's first SSC eligible year was 2017-18. This season, the Sharks and the Eagles sparred twice, splitting the series. On Dec. 1, NSU kicked off road-SSC play against Embry-Riddle, falling in Daytona Beach, 64-55, to the then-22nd ranked Eagles. Hosting Embry-Riddle on Jan. 26, the Sharks cruised to an 82-61 victory.
The Sharks are paced by starting guard
Alison Hughes, who averages 13.9 points per game after nine consecutive double-digit scoring outings and shoots an SSC-high 45.5 percent from deep.
Christen Prasse follows Hughes with 12.0 points per game, and leads NSU in rebounds (7.6) and assists (6.5) per game, notching a program-record three triple-doubles as only the second player in NCAA history to do so. The winner of Wednesday's quarterfinal will advance to play either Florida Southern or Barry this Saturday in the semifinal round at 12:00 p.m.
In the midst of an already-historic run, the NSU men's team enters postseason play riding a current seven-game win streak following a dominant 98-76 victory over Palm Beach Atlantic in the regular season finale. The Sharks captured the program's first-ever SSC regular season title, and as a result, have locked up the tournament's top seed and home court advantage throughout. Leading one of the hottest teams in the NCAA right now, head coach
Jim Crutchfield will look to build upon his 400 career wins with an opening-round matchup against the eighth-seeded Spartans, a team the Sharks swept during the regular season, but needed overtime before sealing the deal in the most recent meeting on Feb. 23.
Holding the nation's No. 2 scoring offense (99.3 ppg), NSU boasts six players currently averaging double-figures, including SSC Newcomer of the Year
Mark Matthews (19.8 ppg) and Bevo Francis Award Top-50 Watch List member
David Dennis (15.9 ppg). The winner of Wednesday's quarterfinal will advance to play either Eckerd or Barry in the semifinal round this Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
Tickets will be available for the quarterfinal at regular NSU game prices:
$7.00 general admission
$5.00 seniors
FREE Children under 12
FREE NSU students and SSC students (with proper I.D.)
FREE NSU faculty and staff (with staff I.D.)
During Saturday and Sunday semifinal and final round games, ticket prices will be:
$10 general admission
FREE Children under 6
FREE SSC institution students (with proper I.D.)
FREE NSU faculty and staff (with staff I.D.)
Both games of Wednesday's doubleheader will be available live on the
SSC Digital Network and live stats will be available through
NSUSharks.com. Semifinal games will also be streamed live with live stats provided for both Saturday and Sunday.
