BOCA RATON, Fla. – Kaliyah Morales recorded 17 points and six rebounds, and the visiting #4 Nova Southeastern Sharks outlasted Lynn University 67-62 in a back-and-forth affair. Bridie McCann and Hailey Chiles each added 10 points for the Sharks, who stifled the Knights’ late comeback attempt to earn their 17th straight victory and remain unbeaten.
Score: #4 Nova Southeastern 67 | Lynn 62
Records: #4 Nova Southeastern 17-0 (9-0 SSC) | Lynn 11-7 (5-5 SSC)
Location: de Hoernle Sports Center | Boca Raton, Fla.
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The Sharks grabbed a quick 7-2 lead to open the quarter, after Kaliyah Morales hit a midrange jumper at the 6:15 mark. The Knights responded with a three-pointer, and trailed the Sharks 9-5 midway through the quarter. The Sharks’ reserves provided a spark, as Katelynn Hagy, Chynna Mattair and Unique Horton each scored points off the bench to double up the Knights 14-7. However, the Knights got back-to-back transition threes from Katie Tiffan and Hannah Wentworth, and they trailed 16-13 with just two minutes remaining. The Sharks led 18-15 at the end of the first.
The Knights took a 22-20 lead in the second quarter on Wentworth’s third three-pointer of the game at the 8:34 mark. Both teams struggled during the middle frame of the period, but Bree Williams’ three-pointer gave NSU a 27-24 lead going into the media timeout. Tiffan’s free throws gave the Knights a 30-29 lead with just over two minutes remaining, but Hailey Chiles knocked down two free throws to snatch the lead right back. Morales made a tough layup through contact, giving the Sharks a 33-30 lead at the half.
The Knights opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run, taking a 37-33 lead and forcing a Shark timeout at the 7:37 mark. The Sharks responded with a three-pointer from Bridie McCann, but Lynn went back up 42-38 on free throws from Angelina Deleon. The Sharks seized the momentum and tied the score at 45 on Morales’ three-pointer, and Chiles’ putback layup gave them the lead, forcing a Lynn timeout. The Knights went over three minutes without a field goal, and NSU led 49-45 going into the fourth.
NSU took a 56-48 lead, its largest of the game to that point, on Chiles’ putback with just under seven minutes remaining in the fourth. The Knights cut the deficit to five, 59-54, on a layup from Deleon, but the Sharks answered back with a baseline jumper from McCann. Markayla Holland scored her eighth point of the game on a layup with 1:45 remaining to give NSU a 63-54 lead. Lynn got a late three-pointer from Deleon to cut the lead to four points, but the Sharks held on for the 67-62 win.
Kaliyah Morales: 17 points, six rebounds
Hailey Chiles: 10 points, seven rebounds
Bridie McCann: 10 points, five rebounds
Markayla Holland: nine points, eight rebounds, three steals
Taydra Simpson: eight rebounds
Now standing at 17-0 (9-0 in SSC play), the Sharks will visit Saint Leo on Wednesday, January 21 for a 5:00 PM showdown. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Women’s Basketball, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter/X at NSU_WBasketball.
