Rollins' Upset Bid Falls Just Short at No. 8 NSU

Rollins

55 -

65

#8 Nova SE

Box Score

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (December 5, 2015) - A young Tars team gave eighth-ranked Nova Southeastern everything they could handle on Saturday afternoon but eventually fell to the Sharks, 65-55.

Rollins falls to 4-4 overall on the year, 1-2 in conference play, while NSU improves to 8-1 and 4-0 in the SSC.

The Tars shot better than they have all season, going 21-52 (40.4%) from the field, including 10-22 from beyond the arc (45.5%), also a season high.

Junior Marie Gilbert led Rollins in scoring for the fifth time in eight games, finishing with 15 points. Jasmine Stone, Julia Ingler and Jen Farrell each chipped in six while Tanaya Jones added four points to go along with a career best nine rebounds. The junior also recorded three assists and a pair of steals.

Molly Blomer led the Sharks with 20 points on 6-11 shooting, including 4-9 from deep, while Monaye Merritt recorded 19 points and eight assists.

NSU struck first as the Tars started slow but a Gilbert three at the 6:50 mark tied the game at 3-3.

Rollins then quickly found themselves in foul trouble, putting the Sharks in the bonus with more than five minutes left in the opening quarter and suddenly down five, 8-3.

The deficit would grow to seven before a Farrell three at the 4:22 mark opened a 5-0 run to pull the Tars back within two.

The Tars would eventually close the period with a 6-2 run, taking a 14-12 lead after one.

NSU scored the first five points of the second before a steal and fast break layup by Vernisha Andrews ended the Sharks run at the seven minute mark.

Gilbert then hit a jumper from the top of the key before another Farrell three gave the Rollins their biggest lead of the half, 21-17, with 5:35 left..

The Sharks would close the period on an 8-4 run to tie the game at 25-25 heading into intermission.

Rollins shot 38.5 percent from the field in the field half, including 4-11 from beyond the arc. Farrell led the way with six points while Gilbert score five and grabbed two boards. Tanaya Jones chipped in two points in the first half and hauled in five rebounds.

The Tars came out firing in the third, led by six quick points from Stone, to regain a four point lead, 33-29, with under seven on the clock.

NSU answered with 11-0 run to take a seven point lead before Rollins came back with five straight to make it 41-38 with 2:10 left in the third.

A Sharks three late in the quarter made it 44-38 at the end of the third.

The Tars found themselves down eight early in the fourth but pulled back within one after seven unanswered, capped by a Julia Ingler three with 3:42 left.

NSU would then close the game on a 16-7 run to escape with the win.

Rollins will now take a week off before hosting their annual Holiday Invitational Classic on Dec. 14-15. The Tars will play Virginia Union on Monday at 4 p.m. and follow with Pfeiffer on day two. Fans can watch all the action live on the Gieco Tars Sports Network on RollinsSports.com