FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.  - Bridie McCann scored 15 points with three steals and Kaliyah Morales added 13, but it wasn't enough as #9 Nova Southeastern fell to Florida Southern in the regular season finale 90-73. Hailey Chiles recorded 12 points and seven boards and Taydra Simpson added 11 points, four boards and three steals for the Sharks. 



Score: #9 Nova Southeastern 73 | Florida Southern 90
Records: #9 Nova Southeastern 24-4 (16-4 SSC) | Florida Southern 21-6 (15-5 SSC)
Location: Jenkins Field House| Lakeland, Fla.
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The opening quarter was tightly contested, as neither team could gain separation in the early going. The Mocs grabbed an early 3-0 lead before the Sharks responded with back-to-back buckets from Hailey Chiles to take  4-3 lead. The opening frame featured six lead changes, and NSU took an 11-9 lead on Bridie McCann's three-pointer with 5:42 remaining. However, the Mocs tied the score at 11 on an and-one from Gianna Vos and went ahead when she converted the free throw. That was the first of eight unanswered points, until Taydra Simpson hit a three to slice the lead to 18-14. However, the Mocs pushed the lead to 24-14 on Lily Randgaard's fastbreak score with less than 90 ticks remaining, and they held to NSU to one basket the rest of the period. Florida Southern led 27-16 at the end of the first. 

The Mocs extended their lead to 15 early in the second quarter on another basket from Randgaard. The Sharks struggled to convert from the charity stripe, and Carlota Gomez-Alonso converted an and-one midway through the period for the Mocs to go up 37-20. Chynna Mattair drilled a three-pointer in response, and NSU also got points from Celeste Reed and Simpson to cut the deficit to 40-26. However, the Mocs outscored the Sharks 14-8 the rest of the period and took a 22-point lead, their largest of the half, on Randaard's and-one with 38 seconds remaining. The Mocs took a 54-34 lead into the locker rooms.

NSU came out of the locker room looking to chip away at the deficit. They got consecutive baskets from Chiles, Markayla Holland and Chiles again to cut Florida Southern's lead to 56-42 with just under six minutes remaining. However, Gomez Alonso answered with another three-pointer, and the Mocs went back up by 22 on a three from Lily Pereira. The Sharks trailed 74-52 going into the final period.

The Sharks kept battling but were unable to put another dent in the lead. The Mocs led by as many as 25 in the fourth, but the Sharks did eventually cut it to 16. Taydra Simpson's jumper with 1:40 remaining was the final bucket for NSU, and the Mocs closed out the 90-73 victory. 



The Sharks finish the regular season with a 24-4 record and a 15-4 mark in conference play. They will enter the Sunshine State Conference Tournament as the #3 seed and will host the #6 seed Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 3 at 5:30 PM. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Women's Basketball, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter/X at NSU_WBasketball.