FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Winning back-to-back blowouts for the first time this season, the Nova Southeastern women's basketball team has certainly shaken off their stretch of down-to-the-wire finishes and put their three-game losing streak behind them, routing the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish, 76-55, at the Rick Case Arena on Wednesday evening in Sunshine State Conference action.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
FINAL: W, 76-55
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern Sharks (8-7, 4-4 SSC), Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish (2-13, 0-8 SSC)
LOCATION: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. FOLLOW US: @NSUSHARKS on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

HOW IT HAPPENED:

1ST QUARTER | Both teams started out aggressive and effective offensively, and for the Sharks, it was Jordan Tully leading the way from the very beginning, scoring the game's first points just 31 seconds in, as well as 12 of the team's first 14 in the first 5:15, aided by a pair of breakaway steals leading to easy layups, and punctuated by a rare 3-pointer. The opening frame saw eight lead changes with the two sides trading punches back and forth throughout. The Sharks never trailed by more than one possession and were able to grow their lead as high as five with 2:26 remaining, thanks to a pair from long range by Hailey Conley, but that would be their last of the quarter, as they missed their final four shots, allowing the Sailfish to hit a couple layups to draw within one, 21-20.

2ND QUARTER | The pace slowed down significantly on both ends of the floor, as the Sharks saw their field goal percentage cut in half from the first period (44% to 22%), while the Sailfish shot under 42% from the field after a 53% quarter. Tully and Maria Bardeeva accounted for all nine points scored by the Sharks, and after Bardeeva completed an old-fashioned 3-point play just inside the six-minute mark to give the Sharks a game-high six-point lead (30-24), they came up empty on their final ten possessions before halftime, with six missed layups, three missed 3-pointers, two missed free throws, and two turnovers. Meanwhile, the Sailfish made four of eight field goals in the latter half of the quarter, scoring 11 unanswered points to take their largest lead of the game, 35-30.

3RD QUARTER | Head Coach LeAnn Freeland-Curry's halftime adjustments had an immediate, noticeable effect both offensively and defensively, as the Sharks shot nearly 65% from the field and held PBA to just 18%, making as many field goals (11) as the Sailfish attempted for the entire period. After the teams traded the first two buckets, the Sharks exploded with 14 points in a row in a four-and-a-half-minute span, retaking the lead for good just over two and a half minutes out of the break, and turning the five-point deficit into a nine-point edge (46-40). The Sailfish got within six, but the Sharks shrugged that off with an 11-0 run in the final three-plus minutes of the quarter. All told, the Sharks dominated the quarter to the tune of a 27-5 margin and took a commanding 57-40 lead into the closing frame. Tully had 11 of those 27 points herself, giving her 27 for the game and needing just two more for a new career best.

4TH QUARTER | With the game in hand, all eyes were on Tully, and after an offensive foul and a missed layup in the first minute, she finally topped her career-high 28 points against Daemen with a layup at the 7:32 mark, as the Sharks didn't let up, starting on another 10-1 run, running their lead up to 26 points (67-41). The Sailfish finally ended a drought of nearly seven and a half minutes without a bucket, but the lead never dropped below 20 the rest of the game, despite the Sharks missing their next five field goals.

STATS OF THE NIGHT:

• Tully recorded career highs of 29 points, 13 field goals made and 24 attempted, the latter two also both high-water marks for the team this season. She also made her first 3-pointer of the season on five attempts and just the second of her career. She added six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.
• Hailey Conley stayed consistent with 16 points on 6-of-13 from the field and 3-for-9 from deep, in addition to eight boards and four assists.
• Maria Bardeeva tied her season-high of six field goals for 13 points, two off her season-best, while her 15 field goal attempts represent a career high.
• Coming off her first career double-double, Makenna Drabick once again made her presence felt inside, with nine rebounds, three of which were on the offensive side. She also scored seven points on 2-of-3 shooting and 3-for-4 at the charity stripe and collected two steals in 21 minutes of action.
• Just one game after making her Shark debut, Clara Prasse, the younger sister of former Shark standout Christen, scored her first points, with a pair at the line in the waning seconds, to go along with a rebound and a steal.

UP NEXT:
The Sharks will complete their three-game homestand on Saturday, January 18 against Embry-Riddle, with tip-off set for 2:00 p.m. It will their first return to Fort Lauderdale since last season SSC Tournament quarterfinal round, when the Sharks knocked off the Eagles, 85-79, the beginning of a magical postseason run that eventually brought them all the way to Columbus, Ohio for their four Elite Eight.

SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_WBasketball.