FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Nova Southeastern won its fifth consecutive game to start the year, topping Pitt-Johnstown on Friday evening at the NSU Thanksgiving Classic 94-62.
The Sharks (5-0) placed all five starters in double digits, led by Taylor Buie, who set a new career high for the second time in six days, hitting for 23 on Friday. Jessica Russi had a season-high 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting, to go along with seven assists and four steals.
Also in double figures were Danielle Robinson and Jasmine Wilkins, each going 5-of-7 from the field for 14 and 13 points, respectively. Wilkins added a game-high 10 rebounds to notch her second double-double of the season. Richelle Carach hit double digits for the fifth consecutive game with 10.
The Sharks' offense was on all cylinders early, racing out to 30 points just nine minutes in. They shot 60 percent from the field before the halftime break (21-for-35), leading the Lady Cats 54-33. All five starters had at least eight at that point, led by Wilkins' 10.
Buie went for 14 in the second half as the Sharks extended out to as much as a 35-point lead late (94-59 with 57 seconds left). They held Pitt-Johnstown to 27 percent shooting in the second half, and 29 percent overall. NSU had 15 steals and forced 29 UPJ turnovers, winning the points-off-turnover battle, 27-11. They also dominated points in the paint 58-18 and had a 16-0 advantage in fast break points.
The Lady Cats (1-4) were led by Jasmine Harper and Leah Hansen, who each had 12 points. The Sharks held Kayla DeCriscio, UPJ's leading scorer coming into the game at 19.3 a contest, to only five points.
Harding 96, No. 5 Central Missouri 67
SEARCY, Ark. -- The fifth-ranked Jennies saw their five-game win streak come to an end, dropping a 96-67 decision to Harding at Rhodes Field House on Friday night.
UCM (5-1) never led in the game after quickly falling behind, 8-1 in the first 1:55. The Jennies pulled to within four points at 14-10 following a 9-6 run that saw Shelby Winkelmann and BreAnna Lewis hit two three-pointers. The Lady Bisons (6-0) quickly ended any hope of the Jennies tying the game, scoring 12 of the game's next 13 points to take a 26-11 advantage.
The Jennies were unable to pull within single digits for the remainder of the game, watching their deficit grow to 18 at the intermission, trailing 47-29. Harding outscored Central Missouri, 22-10 in the paint and held a 15-5 edge in first half bench points.
Lewis hit a three-pointer 2:38 into the game's second half to cut the deficit to 15, but Harding controlled the next 6:56, outscoring the Jennies, 19-13, to give them a 69-45 lead and putting the game out of reach.
Harding scored 20 second-chance points to Central Missouri's nine and had a 20-11 advantage in points off turnovers. The Jennies shot just 37.7 percent (20-of-53) from the field and hit just 18-of-29 free throws (62.1 percent).
Lewis tied her season high with 20 points, while adding three assists and three steals. Keuna Flax registered double-digit points for the fifth-consecutive game with a dozen.
No. 7 Colorado Mesa 74, Montana Western 46
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- Aubry Boehme scored 17 of her game high 23 points in the first half to lead seventh ranked Colorado Mesa to a 74-46 non-conference win against visiting Montana Western on Friday night in Brownson Arena.
Boehme was 11-of-13 from the field and 1-of-1 from the free-throw line to finish with a season-high 23 points. She also added eight rebounds and two assists.
Colorado Mesa dished out 26 assists tonight on 29 baskets made and committed 13 turnovers. Sharaya Selsor finished with a career-high 10 assists and senior Christen Lopez finished with five.
Taylor Rock lit it up from the three-point line for CMU. Rock hit three consecutive three-pointers that spanned from the 17:53 mark of the second half to the 16:54 mark that helped the Maverick lead move from 15 points to 24 points. She finished with 12 points, three rebounds, and two assists.
The Mavericks finished the night shooting 46.8 percent from the field and just over 33 percent from the three-point line. They shot over 45 percent from the field in the first half but just 2-for-12 from the three-point line (16.7 %.)
The Bulldogs were led by the eight points and five rebounds of Melody McCloud.
