WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The seventh-ranked Nova Southeastern Sharks downed Palm Beach Atlantic 76-65 on the road and earned their tenth straight victory on Saturday afternoon. Kaliyah Morales scored 17 points for the Sharks, while Bridie McCann and Markayla Holland each added 14 points, and Celeste Reed had a near double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. 



Score: #7 Nova Southeastern 76 | Palm Beach Atlantic 65
Records: #7 Nova Southeastern 10-0 (4-0 SSC) | Palm Beach Atlantic 3-7 (1-3 SSC)
Location: Rubin Arena | West Palm Beach, Fla.
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NSU jumped out to an early 11-4 lead, going on a 9-0 run over a three-minute span. The Sharks extended their lead to double-digits on a three-pointer from McCann and a layup from Holland. The lead hovered in double digits for the remainder of the quarter, as the Sharks led 16-5 with just under three minutes remaining, and they led 20-10 at the end of the first quarter. 

The Sharks went back up by 12 at the beginning of the second quarter on a layup from Holland, but the Sailfish cut the deficit to eight on a three-pointer from Darria Whitley. Holland got into double-figures with a jumper at the 5:38 mark, and NSU led 33-21 at the final media timeout of the half. The Sharks went up by 17 on an and-one from Kaliyah Morales with 3:55 remaining, and went up by 19 on another three-pointer from McCann at the 1:47 mark. The Sailfish, however, cut the deficit down to 13, and the Sharks led 45-32 at the half. 

Both teams struggled to score at the beginning of the second half, as NSU missed four consecutive free throws. The Sailfish went on a 6-0 run, getting threes from Anabel Ellison and Whitley to cut the deficit to 10. The Sharks went back up by 11 on a layup from Celeste Reed, and NSU led 49-38 at the midway point of the quarter. Holland knocked down two free throws, and Chynna Mattair scored a layup to push the Sharks' lead back to 55-40 at the 3:55 mark. The Sailfish later cut the deficit back to 11, but the Sharks led 64-51 at the end of the third after two free throws from Morales.

NSU scored their first points of the fourth on two free throws from Hailey Chiles at the 8:13 mark. The Sharks went up 70-56 at the 5:00 mark on a three-pointer from Morales, and Taydra Simpson connected on three free throws after drawing a foul on a three-point attempt to push the lead to 73-56. The Sailfish closed within 12 on a three from Breeje Schuler with 2:00 remaining, but Morales knocked down another free throw, and the Sharks won 76-65.



Kaliyah Morales: 17 points, four rebounds, three assists
Bridie McCann: 14 points, six assists
Markayla Holland: 14 points, four rebounds, three assists
Celeste Reed: 11 points, nine rebounds



The Sharks move to 10-0 after Saturday's win and move to 4-0 in SSC play. They'll now turn their attention to next weekend's Holiday Hoops Classic, as they'll host Elizabeth City State from the CIAA next Saturday, December 19 at 2pm. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Women's Basketball, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter/X at NSUW_Basketball.