Box Score
WINTER PARK, Fla. – The No. 4 Nova Southeastern women's basketball team came back from a 17-point second-half deficit to force overtime, but fell on the road to No. 18 Rollins, 74-71.
The Sharks (20-2, 10-2 SSC) trailed by 18 in the first half – the largest lead by an opponent thus far this season – 15 at the half (39-24), and 17 with 18:55 left. It was still an 11-point Rollins (21-4, 10-3 SSC) advantage with 6:36 to go, 58-47.
NSU went on a 10-2 run over the next 4:30, and a 3-pointer by
Taylor Buie (So., Puyallup, Wash.) made it 60-57 with 2:21 to go. That was immediately answered by a 3-pointer from Tanaya Jones to push the lead back to 63-57, but the Sharks scored the next six to tie it with 1:04 left, 63-63, the first tie of the game.
Sarah Taylor made 2-of-2 from the line for the Tars, followed by two free throws in as many trips for
Jasmine Wilkins (R-Jr., Miami) to tie it again (65-65), the last 1-of-2 coming with 24 seconds left. Each team had an opportunity for the go-ahead basket, but neither could come through as the game went into overtime.
In the extra frame, Rollins scored the first four, but an old-fashioned three-point play by
Richelle Carach (Sr., Naples, Fla.) with 2:39 left cut the lead back down to one, 69-68.
The Tars' Cassidy Bailey's only basket of the night, a 3-pointer with 2:05 left, pushed them back out by four. The Sharks would hold Rollins without a field goal for the remainder of the game, but wouldn't get one of their own either (and were only 1-of-10 from the field in the period).
Jessica Russi (Sr., Lake Mary, Fla.) made 2-of-2 free throws on one trip (at the 1:07 mark) and the first of two on the next, with 27 seconds to go, cutting it to 72-71. After the second missed, the Sharks fouled Bailey, who made both from the line for a 74-71 lead.
On the other end, Buie had an open look at a '3' that was in and out, and Rollins came away with the rebound. After a Tars timeout, NSU forced a final turnover, but Russi's 3-point attempt to tie just before the horn wouldn't fall, and the home team won by three.
"Just like earlier this season, it was quite a game," said head coach LeAnn Freeland. "Rollins played a great first half, and we fought together to get back in the game, forcing overtime."
Buie had five 3's in the second half, and a new career high of six overall, for all 18 of her points. Wilkins also scored 18 while adding 10 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the year.
Ashley Robinson (Fr., Jensen Beach, Fla.) had eight of her 11 points in the first half, one of the lone bright spots in what was a 22.6-percent shooting half for the team (7-of-31).
Carach finished with nine points and seven rebounds, Russi had six points, six rebounds and 11 assists, and
Danielle Robinson (Jr., Lake Mary, Fla.) added nine boards.
The Sharks kept in the game despite shooting a season-low percentage from the free throw line of 45.2 percent, leaving 17 points at the stripe (14-of-31). Their overall shooting percentage of 32.9 percent was also the lowest of the year, though they shot 50 percent (16-of-32) in the second half.
"We had numerous opportunites to win today, but Rollins got the 'W'." said Freeland. "I was proud of our fight and perseverance. We have a tough group that learned a lot from our loss today."
Rollins was led by Jen Farrell with 19 points, including 5-of-5 from behind the arc. Sarah Taylor had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Emmalee Schill had 14 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocked shots. The Tars had 13 blocked shots as a team and outrebounded NSU, 58-50.
With the loss and Tampa's win at Lynn, the Sharks dropped to second place in the SSC standings for the first time this season. Those two squads and Rollins are only separated by one game: Tampa is 11-2, NSU 10-2 and Rollins is 10-3. The Sharks have four conference games to go, the other two have three.
NSU's first of four comes this Wednesday when they take their shortest road trip of the year, to Miami Shores to take on Barry. The men will go first in the doubleheader at 5:30, with the women tipping off at approximately 7:30.
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