SAINT LEO, Fla. - Taydra Simpson recorded a season-high 22 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals to lift #4 Nova Southeastern to a dominant 98-53 victory over Saint Leo, her old stomping grounds. NSU also got 14 points from Celeste Reed, 11 points from Bridie McCann and 10 points from Kaliyah Morales. The Sharks used a late second quarter run to seize momentum and blow the game wide open early in the second half to remain unbeaten on the year.



Score: #4 Nova Southeastern 98 | Saint Leo 53
Records: #4 Nova Southeastern 18-0 (10-0 SSC) | Saint Leo 6-9 (3-7 SSC)
Location: Marion Bowman Center | Saint Leo, Fla.
Get Social: Instagram and Twitter/X - NSU_WBasketball



The game started off at a breakneck pace, as both teams matched each other with full court pressure. The Lions rattled off a 7-0 run and opened up a 10-4 lead after free throws from Jailenn Green. The Sharks responded with a tough and-one from Unique Horton, but the Lions doubled the Sharks up on the ensuing possession and later got two free throws from Zoe Oleary to go up 15-8. NSU went on a 9-2 run over the next several minutes, as they got back-to-back buckets from Celeste Reed, a three-pointer from Bridie McCann, and a bucket from Markayla Holland to tie the game at 17 with just under two minutes remaining. Neither team scored the rest of the way, and the score remained deadlocked at 17 at the end of the first.

Hailey Chiles' putback gave NSU its first lead, 19-17, at the 8:51 mark of the second quarter, but Olivia Agunzo scored back-to-back and-ones, and the Lions went up 24-21. The Sharks then went on a game-changing 13-2 run, capped off by back-to-back threes from Taydra Simpson to go up 34-26 and force a Saint Leo timeout. The Sharks kept pouring it on, and they took a commanding 48-31 halftime lead after forcing multiple turnovers and capitalizing on miscues. Simpson's 19 points paced the Sharks' scoring in the first half. 

In the third quarter, NSU went up by 21 points on McCann's offensive rebound and putback, and they led 57-31 going into the media timeout. They went up 69-39 on Morales' and-one with just under a minute remaining, and they held that 30-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Chiles scored a layup at the 3:39 mark of the fourth quarter to go up by 40, and the Sharks cruised to the 98-53 victory.



Taydra Simpson: 22 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals
Celeste Reed: 14 points, six rebounds
Bridie McCann: 11 points, six assists
Kaliyah Morales: 10 points, five assists, five steals
Hailey Chiles: eight points, eight rebounds
Markayla Holland: eight rebounds, four steals
Unique Horton: 13 rebounds, seven points



The Sharks, who now stand at 18-0 (10-0 SSC), will return home to face Palm Beach Atlantic on January 24 at 2:00 PM. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Women's Basketball, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter/X at NSU_WBasketball.