BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Lynn University women's basketball team was undone by a difficult third quarter on Wednesday night, falling 68-51 to 10th-ranked Nova Southeastern University in Sunshine State Conference action.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: #10 Nova Southeastern 68, Lynn 51

Records: Nova Southeastern (17-2, 9-1 SSC), Lynn (2-16, 0-10 SSC)

Location: de Hoernle Sports and Cultural Center | Boca Raton, Fla.

Series: Nova Southeastern leads 19-14

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HOW IT HAPPENED:

• First Quarter: The Sharks controlled the opening tip, and leading scorer Kayla Wright came away with the first bucket of the game. Maddie Herr put the Fighting Knights on the scoreboard by sinking a pair of free throws to tie the game, and Bria Huffmann gave the Blue and White their first lead two possessions later. Herr gave Lynn six of their first 10 points before Nova Southeastern finished the first period with a 16-13 lead.
• Second Quarter: The visiting Sharks came away with the first five points of the quarter, extending their lead to as many as eight. Zachara Bailey was a driving force for the home team in the second quarter, connecting on four of her six shots from the floor. Herr connected on a three-pointer that brought the Fighting Knights within two, but Wright's 16 first-half points lifted Nova Southeastern to a 37-33 advantage.
• Third Quarter: Lynn seemed to carry the momentum coming out of the locker room, but the Sharks settled into a true offensive rhythm to start the second half, quickly expanding their biggest point differential of the night to 14. Bria Huffmann and Nina Guillaume each tallied four points in the third stanza, but Nova shot better than 57% from the floor to outscore Lynn 18-9 and carry a 55-42 lead into the final stanza.
• Fourth Quarter: The first four and a half minutes of the fourth quarter saw defense prevail, as the teams exchanged missed opportunities before NSU went on a 10-4 run. Zachara Bailey scored five of Lynn's nine points in the period, but Nova outscored their hosts 13-9.

QUOTABLE:

• "Nova is a very good team, especially on the offensive end, and we got hurt again on the inside. Kayla Wright deserves a lot of credit, and watching her get easy looks inside killed us. We have shown that we can play with anybody, but the third quarter broke our back tonight. They take a lot of time with the ball, so when we have it, we have to take better shots. Looking ahead to Saturday, Barry is another good team that beat us at their place. The minute you relax on any team in this conference, they will make you pay for it." - Lynn head coach Julia Huddleston

STATS FROM THE GAME:

• Three Sharks scored in double-figures, highlighted by Kayla Wright's game-high 23 points.
• Bailey finished as Lynn's leading scorer with 14 points, while Maddie Herr followed with 11 of her own.
• Bria Huffman collected a game-best nine rebounds, while Herr tallied seven.
• Nova Southeastern outrebounded Lynn 39-37, but Lynn won the turnover battle by a mark of 18-17.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Herr has scored in double-figures in three straight games, the longest such streak of her Lynn career.

UP NEXT

The Fighting Knights return to action on Saturday, Jan. 30, when they host Barry in Sunshine State Conference action. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 pm. Fans are also encouraged to attend the 9th Annual Family Fun Day, which beings at 11:00 am at Mary Ann and Harold Perper Intramural Field.