Next Game:
at Embry-Riddle
2/29/2020 | 4:00 PM
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – After honoring the efforts of their four seniors – Maria Bardeeva, Iva Ilic, Sarah Kelly, and Jordan Tully – with a pre-game ceremony, those four seniors stepped up to help lead the Nova Southeastern Sharks women’s basketball team to a Senior Night victory, 66-65, over the Barry Buccaneers at the Rick Case Arena on Wednesday evening. The win proved crucial for Sunshine State Conference positioning, as the Sharks officially secured a spot in next week’s SSC Tournament.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
FINAL: W, 66-65
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern Sharks (13-13, 9-10 SSC), Barry Buccaneers (8-18, 5-14 SSC)
LOCATION: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
FOLLOW US: @NSUSHARKS on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
HOW IT HAPPENED:
1ST QUARTER | The game got off to a slow start. When the Sharks made wholesale substitutions more than three minutes in, the score was still tied at 2. Those changes worked like a charm, as Clara Prasse and Annie Santucci made back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Sharks ahead for the rest of the quarter, and eventually, the game. Tully followed with five straight points by herself to give them their largest lead of the quarter, at 13-5, and they still lead by seven at quarter’s end.
2ND QUARTER | The Sharks quickly pushed their advantage into double-digit territory on a Skyla Osceola 3-pointer just 44 seconds in, and the margin oscillated around 10 for much of the period, before topping out at 14 (35-21), with 3:22 remaining after a layup by Bardeeva.
3RD QUARTER | They continued to get their lead higher out of halftime, leading by as many as 19 points, when Iva Ilic made her third and final shot of the game from long range at the 6:32 mark, putting them up 50-31. However, the Bucs quickly answered back with an 8-0 run and holding the Sharks without a field goal for over five minutes. Bardeeva finally ended the drought with the period’s last points on a layup in the last minute, giving the Sharks a 57-43 lead to take into the final frame.
4TH QUARTER | Not much changed for the first part of the quarter, with the two teams still separated by 14 points with 5:30 left on the clock, but that was when the Bucs finally kicked into gear and attempted their comeback, using a 13-2 run in just over three minutes of action to get within one possession, at 64-61. They forced the Sharks to commit four turnovers in four-plus minutes and allowed just one field goal on the final six attempts of the game, but within an opportunity to tie, the Buccaneers were unable to take advantage, either, missing a 3-pointer and turning it over themselves. With 12 seconds left, the Sharks turned to fouling Barry, to prevent a game-tying 3-pointer, and they only made the back-end of the two free throws. Iva Ilic did the same on the other end, and on the next trip to the line, the Bucs succeeded in making the first, and then intentionally missing the second and getting the offensive rebound, but immediately gave the ball back to the Sharks anyway. Makenna Drabick also made one of two, which gave Barry one more chance with two seconds left. Again, they hit the first, but they also unintentionally made the second foul shot, as well, eliminating any chance of a put-back to tie the game, and the Sharks were able to seal the game by simply inbounding the ball.
UP NEXT:
The Sharks will conclude their regular season schedule in Daytona Beach on Saturday, facing off with Embry-Riddle at 4:00 p.m. The Sharks defeated the Eagles, 84-71, at the Rick Case Arena back on Jan. 18. A win would lock up the five-seed in the SSC Tournament, setting up a first-round road matchup with the Saint Leo Lions on Mar. 3.
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_WBasketball.
