Box Score
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 4 Nova Southeastern women's basketball team had four players in double digits and held off No.22 Washburn in Saturday's season opener in the Tipoff Classic at the NSU Arena, 90-87.
The Sharks (1-0), who overcame an 11-point first-half deficit and trailed by five points at the half, went ahead for the final time with 10:30 to go. They overcame being outrebounded by nearly double in the first 20 minutes (25-13), flip-flopping the category after the break, 25-14.
Richelle Carach (Sr., Naples, Fla.) set a new career high with 19 points, on 7-of-9 shooting, despite picking up her fourth foul with 19:35 to go. She had seven rebounds as well.
Danielle Robinson (Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) had 16 points,
Amanda Burakoski (Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.) chipped in with 11 off the bench, and
Jasmine Wilkins (Sr., Miami, Fla.), in her first game since the 2011-12 season, scored the game's first basket and had the sixth double-double of her career with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
In the first half, the Sharks went on a 15-3 run midway through to turn a two-point game (17-15) into a 10-point advantage (32-22). Washburn scored eight straight to cut it back to two, and eventually were up by as much as 11, 50-39, following a 17-0 run. NSU turned it around to end the half with an 8-2 stretch, making it a five-point spread at the break, 52-47.
With the exception of four ties, Washburn held their lead for the first nine and a half minutes after halftime. NSU didn't take their first lead of the half until the 10:30 mark when
Jessica Russi (Sr., Lake Mary, Fla.) hit two free throws to make it 69-67. They never trailed again, though the Ichabods did tie it twice more.
A 3-pointer by Janelle Travis knotted things up at 75-75 with 8:01 left, and after a Carach layup, the Ichabods' Honor Duvall put in a layup for the final tie at 77 (6:02). The Sharks scored the next five, three coming from Carach, and didn't trail by less than three the rest of the way.
Besides the four in double digits, the Sharks got nine from Russi, all in the second half, as well as from
Julia Salmio (Sr., Vantaa, Finland). Salmio, who was 1-for-8 on 3-pointers a season ago, buried both of her first-half attempts. Likewise, Carach, who didn't even attempt a long-range shot a year ago, made 2-of-3 from behind the arc in the first.
The Sharks face another top-25 opponent on Sunday in day two of the Tipoff Classic, in No. 7 Stonehill. The Skyhawks won the capper on Saturday, topping Barry, 82-64. Game time is noon on Sunday from the NSU Arena, followed by Washburn against Barry.
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