MELBOURNE, FL. -  After falling behind following the first quarter, Nova Southeastern Women's Basketball battled back to defeat the Panthers of Florida Tech 82-80 with a Grace Gilmore buzzer-beating lay-up to seal the Sharks ninth Sunshine State Conference win of the season. Gilmore scored a game-high 22-points to lead

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
SCORE: Nova Southeastern 82, Florida Tech 80
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern 14-8, 9-6 SSC; Florida Tech 3-17, 1-12 SSC
LOCATION: Melbourne, FL.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
1^ST QUARTER – NSU and Florida Tech opened the game going shot-for-shot, as the teams were tied 5-5 following a three-point bucket from Grace Gilmore. A few moments later, Madeline Hardy put Nova Southeastern in front 9-8. The Panthers closed out the first quarter on a 12-4 run, and went into the second quarter leading 20-13 over NSU.

2^ND QUARTER – Florida Tech pushed their lead to double-digits over the Sharks, but McKenah Peters knocked down a three-point shot to put the score at 27-18 in the early minutes of the second quarter. India Shepherd sparked a 10-3 run, with a three-point make, over the final 4:17 of the first half, to bring the Sharks back within four points, 36-32. Hardy capped off the run with a three-pointer to send the game into the halftime break.

3^RD QUARTER – A'lexus Bryant scored the first five points of the second half, including an and-one to put the score at 39-37. Following the media timeout, Kyarrah Grant brought the Sharks within one point of 47-46. The Sharks battled back and took the lead with 2:20 left in the third inning with McKenah Peters knocking down two free throws. Back-to-back three pointers from India Shepherd and Peters put NSU ahead 57-53 with a minute remaining in the third quarter. FIT closed the quarter on a 6-0 run, as the teams went into the final quarter with NSU trailing 59-57.

4^TH QUARTER – Peters halted an 8-0 run for the Panthers with another three-pointer, putting the score at 61-60 early in the fourth quarter. Gilmore recorded five consecutive points for NSU sparking a 9-2 run for the Sharks. After Florida Tech tied the game at 69-69, the teams traded baskets to put the score at 78-77 in favor of the Sharks. FIT briefly took a 79-78 lead with under 30-seconds left in the contest, when Gilmore finished a lay-up attempt to give NSU a late 80-79 advantage. With the score tied 80-80, following a FIT free throw make, NSU called a timeout with 16 seconds remaining. Head Coach LeAnn Freeland-Curry drew up a play for Gilmore who finished the game-winning attempt with two seconds left on the clock to seal the win for Nova Southeastern.

UPCOMING
Nova Southeastern continues their late season road trip and Sunshine State Conference playoff push with a match-up against Saint Leo on Wed., 2/9. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.