SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern Women's Basketball team lost its fourth game of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling 66-68 at Saint Leo. The Sharks were led by 23 points from Hailey Conley and 16 points from Mackenzie Steele in the Sunshine State Conference loss.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Records: Nova Southeastern 20-4, 12-4 SSC | Saint Leo 12-12, 5-11 SSC
Score: Nova Southeastern 66, Saint Leo 68
Location: Marion Bowman Center | Saint Leo, Fla.
Get Social: Instagram & Twitter – NSU_WBasketball | Facebook – NSU Women's Basketball
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter – The Sharks got out to a quick 5-2 lead after a layup from A'lexus Bryant and a three-pointer from Hailey Conley. Saint Leo would go on a 9-0 run and take an 11-5 lead with just under three minutes remaining. The Sharks battled back quickly with four points from Conley and a pair of free throws from Madison Frederick, tying the game at 11-11 in under 30 seconds of game time. After a tough offensive stretch, Nova Southeastern would take an 11-14 deficit into the second quarter.
Second Quarter – Conley drew a foul and knocked in a pair of free throws to open the scoring for NSU in the second. Back-to-back layups by Kyannah Grant helped the Sharks shorten its deficit to 17-20. Conley took the game over, catching fire and scoring the next 10 points, gaining a 28-
23 lead for the Sharks. Bryant, Sarei McGill and Zeyno Seren all scored in a 6-0 run, and helped Nova Southeastern go into halftime with a 34-27 lead.
Third Quarter – Conley picked up right where she left off, opening the second half with another three-pointer for NSU. Saint Leo fought back, tying the game at 37 before Bryant scored three consecutive points for Nova Southeastern. The Sharks got out to a 44-40 lead after Kyannah Grant hit a three-pointer and McGill made a pair of free throws. With just over 5 minutes remaining, Mackenzie Steele caught fire and scored NSU's next 10 points. Steele's run helped the Sharks go into the fourth quarter with a 53-52 advantage.
Fourth Quarter – Steele opened the quarter right where she left off, scoring her 12th consecutive point. After a layup from Frederick, Steele hit a three-pointer and a mid-range jumper that gave NSU a 62-59 lead. Saint Leo would go on a 2-8 run and take a 64-67 lead with just over 90 seconds remaining. As time went down, a layup from Kyannah Grant lowered the deficit to one point with 51 seconds left. NSU was unable to convert its last shot and would fall to Saint Leo 66-68 on the road.
STATS OF THE NIGHT
- Conley and Steele combined for 39 of the Sharks' 66 points (59%).
- From the late third quarter to the early fourth, Steele scored 16 of the Sharks' 18 points in that timeframe.
- NSU's bench outscored Saint Leo's 21-11.
- The 24 turnovers were a season-high for the Sharks.
UPCOMING
The Sharks will take on Barry on Wednesday, Feb. 15 in its first home game in two weeks. Tip-off is set of 5:30 p.m.
