FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The twentieth-ranked Nova Southeastern women's basketball team's suffocating defense led NSU to a dominant victory over the Saint Leo Lions Saturday afternoon at the Rick Case Arena. Aubrey Stupp (19) and Payton Graber (14 points) were at the forefront of the Sharks offensive attack.
SCORE: #20 Nova Southeastern 88, Saint Leo 67
RECORDS: #20 Nova Southeastern 13-2, 6-1 SSC, Saint Leo 7-8, 2-6 SSC
LOCATION: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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1st Half — Payton Graber helped the Sharks gain an early lead on the Lions with five points in the first quarter. NSU then went on to close out the quarter on an 8-2 run, going up 22-15. The Sharks extended their lead to as big as 14 points as Dash Shaw and Aubrey Stupp jump-started an 11-4 run for NSU to begin the second quarter. The Sharks continued to keep up the intensity on the defensive end, leading to a 43-32 halftime lead.
2nd Half — The fouls began to rack up in the third quarter as both teams combined for 22 made throws, with the Lions making 12 of those free throws. Nova Southeastern's defense held the Lions to 35 points in the second half and 11/26 from the field. The Sharks were clutch down the stretch thanks to the three-point barrage by Payton Graber and Kailyn Terrell, who combined to make five threes, ultimately leading NSU to the 88-67 SSC victory.
Aubrey Stupp- 19 points
Payton Graber– 14 points, one steal
Dash Shaw - 10 points
Head Coach LeAnn Freeland-Curry - We had a great team win today by racking up 22 assists. We shared the ball, executed plays, and found open teammates. Our players are great shooters, but haven't been knocking them like they are capable. It was good to see if the shots fall today! I still believe we need to clean up our on-ball defense to maximize our team's potential as we move forward.
Payton Graber - This was a big team win for us. We executed offensively and played hard all game. We are excited to keep things rolling and continue to get better!
Nova Southeastern will remain home to take on Florida Southern College this Wednesday, January 15th at 5:30 P.M.
To stay up-to-date on Sharks Women's Basketball, follow on Instagram and Twitter at NSU_WBasketball.
