MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Florida Tech women's basketball team looked to snap the Nova Southeastern Sharks nine-game winning streak at home on Saturday evening in a Sunshine State Conference matchup. The Panthers were able to keep the game close bouncing back from double-digit deficits throughout the game to come within one score. However, each comeback attempt was never enough to snap the Sharks streak as NSU recorded the 56-46 win and extended its streak to 10 wins in a row.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Florida Tech 46, Nova Southeastern 56
Records: Florida Tech (5-13, 0-7 SSC) | Nova Southeastern (12-3,7-1 SSC)
Location: Clemente Center | Melbourne, Fla. 

FIRST QUARTER 

• Morgan Kane of Nova Southeastern was the first to put points on the board, scoring off a layup 1:11 into the game.
• Tai Roberts was the first Panthers to record a basket off a jumper to tie it, 2-2.
• Kane would score the Shark's next basket with 7:48 left in the quarter and neither team would score again until the 4:11 minute mark as Zeyno Seren would hit a three and put Nova Southeastern ahead 7-2.
• The final two minutes of the first would see both teams combined for nine points.
• Roberts and Kyandra Poitier would score three for Tech from Roberts's layup and Poitier's made free throw opportunity.
• Kane tallied four from a layup and two made free throws along with India Shepherd of NSU sunk both her free throws to give Nova Southeastern the 13-7 lead at the end of the first.

 
SECOND QUARTER

• NSU began the second off a layup by Kailyn Terrell to put the Sharks ahead by eight.
• Sarah Liberatore recorded her first points at the free throw line as she was fouled by Seren.
• Divine Guthrie brought Tech back to within four points following a jumper, making it a 15-11 score.
• As the Panthers trailed by six, Tai Roberts recorded back-to-back buckets off a two-point jump shot followed by a three to bring the Crimson and Gray to just a one-point deficit.
• With three seconds remaining before the half, Nicole Scales of NSU hit a jump shot from inside the Paint, as the sharks would lead by just a three-point play at 19-16.

 
THIRD QUARTER 

• Roberts picked up in the third where she left off just before the half, scoring the opening points of the half going coast to coast off a defensive rebound.
• Making the layup at the other end of the court, the Panthers trailed by only one.
• The Sharks would come in big, recording five straight free throws to lead 24-20 with just under eight minutes to play in the third.
• India Sheppard would hit a three as the Sharks would go on to outscore the Panthers nine to four, leading 33-24 with 4:27 left in the third.
• Roberts and Linas Stranger-Johannessen would attempt to get the Panthers back in the game, scoring a free throw for Roberts and a layup from Stranger-Johannessen as the Sharks would lead by just eight before scoring off a layup from Nicole Scales.
• Liberatore would be the last Panther to score before the end of the quarter off a layup, assisted by Stranger-Johannessen to make it 37-29, Sharks.
• Kane tallied the final score of the third as the Sharks would lead 39-29 to start the fourth.

 
FOURTH QUARTER

• The fourth quarter saw each team battle to the end, starting with a layup by Oliva Stephens on a fastbreak, following a steal by Roberts to make it a 39-31 Sharks lead.
• Both teams would go on to exchange pairs of baskets extending the score to 43-35.
• After a Sharks successful free throw attempt, Stephens would score four straight points to cause Tech to trail by just five, 44-39.
• As NSU jumped out to a nine-point lead, 48-39, Tech answered back to keep it within five points, scoring five points in forty seconds to give themselves a chance with a 49-44 Sharks lead.
• With 36 seconds to go, Tech brought its deficit to within reach, 50-46, but would go on to be outscored 6-0 in the closing seconds of the game giving NSU the 56-46 win.
   

NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• With her steal first steal of the game in the second quarter, Lina Stranger-Johannessen recorded the 100^th steal of her career.
• Tai Roberts set a new season high, scoring 22 points, along with leading the team with seven rebounds against the Sharks.
• Roberts and Stranger-Johannessen led the Panthers in steals with three each.

 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:

• Florida Tech is now 27-24 all-time against Nova Southeastern.
• The Sharks have won the past four meetings and seven of the past 10 since the start of the 2017-18 season.
• The Panther's last win vs. the Sharks was a 62-59 victory on February 22, 2020, in Melbourne.  
• Tech moves to 15-11 all-time at home vs. NSU.
• Tech finished the game shooting 33.3% (17-53) from the field, 20.0% (1-5) from beyond the arc, and 64.7% (11-17) on free throws.
• Nova Southeastern shot 36.2% (17-47) in the contest, 12.5% (2-16) from the three-point range, and 71.4% (20-28) from the line.
• Florida Tech held the advantage in bench points (9-7), points off turnovers (15-12) and fast break points (13-12).

 
UP NEXT:
The Panthers will return home on Wednesday, January 24^th against Barry University at 5:30 P.M. at the Clemente Center.

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