FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.- A strong defensive effort in the second half propelled the Nova Southeastern women's basketball team over the Daemen Wildcats on Saturday afternoon from the Rick Case Arena. Alana Ellis (23), Nicole Scales (13), and Aubrey Stupp (12) led the Sharks offensively.
SCORE: Nova Southeastern 71, Daemen 63
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern 2-2, Daemen 3-3
LOCATION: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
GET SOCIAL: Instagram & Twitter – NSU_WBasketball
First half – Both teams traded baskets at the beginning of the first quarter, leading to a 7-7 tie with just under five minutes remaining. Shortly after, a 7-0 run put the Wildcats up 14-7 before a three from Ellis brought the Shark deficit to four. NSU went on a quick 5-0 run to end the quarter thanks to baskets from Ellis and Kailyn Terrell, bringing the score to 16-15. The Wildcats came out aggressive in the second quarter, scoring a quick three-pointer to kick things off but the Sharks tenacious defense created havoc for Daemen all quarter long. Which led to NSU taking a one-point lead as they headed to the half.
Second half - Daemen controlled the lead for a majority of the third quarter until a late surge of points from Scales (6), and Ellis (4) gave the Sharks a six-point lead going into the final frame. The defensive intensity picked up for NSU in the fourth quarter. Midway through the quarter, a 10-0 run featuring baskets from Ellis, Stupp, and Delaney Wolfe extended the Sharks lead to 17, ultimately securing the 71-63 victory for Nova Southeastern.
Alana Ellis: 23 points
Nicole Scales: 13 points, six assists
Aubrey Stupp: 12 points, 13 rebounds
Kailyn Terrell: 4 steals
Head Coach LeAnn Freeland-Curry: We had a great team win today. Daemen is a solid team and fought for 40 minutes. I'm proud of how hard we played in the full court to force 24 turnovers with ten steals and over 40 deflections. Our staff was excited to see how we came together to get big defensive stops and hit big threes to grind out the win.
Nova Southeastern will open up SSC play against Lynn on Wednesday, Nov. 29, from the Rick Case Arena. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. EST.
To stay up-to-date on Sharks Women's Basketball, follow on Instagram and Twitter at NSU_WBasketball.
