FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University women's basketball team came back from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to tie the game with 3:46 remaining, but came up just short in the end, losing to Florida Southern, 80-77, in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament semifinals at Rick Case Arena on Saturday afternoon.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
FINAL: L, 77-80
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern University Sharks (18-11), Florida Southern Moccasins (27-3)
LOCATION: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
FOLLOW US: @NSUSHARKS on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
1ST QUARTER | The Sharks scored the first five points of the game, keeping the Moccasins off the scoreboard until nearly 2:30 in, after a possession in which they recovered three offensive rebounds, their only made field goal among their first eight attempts. The Sharks stayed in front until the 4:26 mark, when the Mocs tied the game with a pair of free throws, later taking their first lead a minute and a half later, during a streak of seven consecutive field goals. A bizarre sequence occurred at around the one-minute mark, with the score tied at 20-20, when Christen Prasse missed a layup, but Cheray Saunders regained possession near the basket with a steal, grabbing the ball away from the Mocs' Anja Fuchs-Robetin, who got the rebound. The situation played out again in reverse, with Saunders missing the layup and Prasse taking the ball from Fuchs-Robetin. Prasse drew a foul going up for another layup, and Florida Southern's bench was then assessed a technical foul. Alison Hughes and Prasse hit all four free throws to put the Sharks ahead, 24-20, and that score nearly stood until the first quarter whistle, but Mikayla Thompson was called for a foul with one second on the clock, and Julia Jenike hit both of her free throws for the Moccasins. Both teams shot an identical 47 percent (8-of-17) from the field, but the Sharks earned the edge in three-pointers, 3-0.
 
2ND QUARTER | The second period continued the trend of the first, with a total of four ties and seven lead changes - six and 11 in the first half, respectively. The Mocs scored the first six points, and the Sharks didn't get on the board until just inside the six-minute mark, missing their first six field goals of the quarter, part of an 11-field-goal drought dating back to the final minutes of the opening frame. However, they tied the game again within just 20 seconds, keeping their opponents scoreless for nearly four minutes. The teams traded points for the final four and a half minutes, with the Moccasins getting the final opportunity when Bekki Kalaydjiev got a jumper off with less than half second remaining, beating the buzzer for a one-point halftime lead, at 38-37.
 
3RD QUARTER | Not unlike the second quarter, the Sharks struggled offensively out of the halftime gate, as the Moccasins started on a 10-0 run, and a Sharks drought followed for the first four minutes, until Alison Hughes snapped the skid. Meanwhile, the Mocs were amidst another extended field goal streak, this time eight in a row, not missing for nearly 6:30. Katie Barnard, Prasse and Thompson hit three consecutive three-pointers to draw the Sharks within six points at the 3:04 mark, but Florida Southern responded immediately with their first 3-pointer of the game. Another Mocs three-pointer with 18 seconds remaining provided FSC a 10-point lead (64-54) entering the final frame.
 
4TH QUARTER | The Sharks refused to go down quietly – a pair of Jordan Tully layups making it a six-point game once again just 62 seconds in. Tully would later hit two more layups to cut the deficit to four, followed by another from Hughes to get the Sharks within a possession. Katie Barnard came up with the clutch steal and assisted Tully's fifth layup of the quarter to tie the game at 68 apiece. Another turnover gave the Sharks a chance to take their first lead of the half, but Tully's go-ahead opportunity was blocked. Fuchs-Robetin sank a pair of free throws and Julia Jenike made the third and final 3-pointer of the game for Florida Southern, ballooning the deficit back up to five in less than 30 seconds. The Sharks got back within three at the 2:01 mark and had another chance to tie following a turnover, but Tully missed a three-pointer with the shot clock expiring. The Mocs hit two more free throws on the ensuing possession. Tully made her seventh field goal of the quarter with 40 seconds left but came up empty on the free throw line for the old-fashioned three-point play – the Sharks first missed foul shot of the game. After the Mocs made a jumper, Claire McMahon added a layup of her own with 10 seconds remaining and Camille Giardina missed one of her two free throws. Hughes sank a corner three with just three seconds left to make it a one-point game, but after two more by Giardina at the line, the Sharks were unable to get off potential game-tying shot.
 
INSIDE THE STATS:

• Prasse notched a season-high 22 points, 17 of which came in the first half on 6-of-9 shooting, and was a perfect 5-for-5 at the foul line. She also dished out seven assists, brought down six rebounds and recovered four steals.
• Jordan Tully dominated the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of her 16 points in the period, almost single-handedly matching Florida Southern's 16, while the rest of the Sharks scored a combined nine points.
• Hughes added 14 points and six steals, while hitting a pair of three-pointers, her 14th consecutive game with multiple treys.
• McMahon came away with a career-high 11 rebounds, her first double-digit effort of the season.
• The Sharks held SSC Player of the Year Giardina to 16 points, 3.5 below her season average, but fellow All-SSC First-Teamer Fuchs-Robetin had a game-high of 25 points and a season-high 14 rebounds. Jenike also scored 18 points for the Mocs.
• Both teams were perfect at the line in the first three quarters, combining for 22 made free throws.
• In their comeback attempt, the Sharks outscored their opponent in the paint 20-2, with their sole shot outside the area being Hughes' last-second 3-pointer, and 8-0 off turnovers, forcing six while committing just one themselves.
• Prasse and Hughes both played the last games of their careers at the Rick Case Arena, along with Thompson, Barnard and Megan Piggott.

 
UP NEXT:
 
The Sharks will learn their NCAA South Regional fate when the selection show airs tomorrow night on NCAA.com at 10:00 p.m.
 
 
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