MONTGOMERY, Ala. – An all-around team effort and suffocating defense propelled the Nova Southeastern Women’s Basketball team to a season-opening victory on Friday afternoon at the SSC-GSC Crossover Classic. Double-digit efforts from Aubrey Stupp (20), Delaney Wolfe (13), and Madison Cloonan (11) led the Sharks to the win over Montevallo.
SCORE: No. 16 Nova Southeastern 72, Montevallo 50
RECORDS: No. 16 Nova Southeastern 1-0, Montevallo 0-1
LOCATION: AUM Athletics Complex | Montgomery, Ala.
GET SOCIAL: Instagram & Twitter – NSU_WBasketball
First half – Aubrey Stupp got the action started with eight straight points to give NSU the early 8-2 lead. The Falcons cut the deficit to five points with 2:40 left to play in the first quarter before baskets from Jess Moors, Mercedes Simmons, and Madison Cloonan extended the Sharks lead to 19-9 as they headed into the second quarter. Montevallo came out aggressive, going on a 9-3 run to cut NSU’s lead to three. With 4:40 left to play in the half, Madison Cloonan jumpstarted a 12-2 Shark run capped off by an and-one from Stupp to give Nova a 37-25 advantage going into the break.
Second Half – Stupp picked up where she left off, knocking down a three-pointer to kick off the second half. The Sharks defense continued to pose problems for Montevallo throughout the quarter, forcing three consecutive Falcon turnovers beginning at the 1:53 mark, leading to a 51-36 advantage for NSU as they headed into the final frame. Michaela Cloonan joined the action with a three-pointer at the 8:42 mark to put the Sharks up 20 points. With 1:49 left to play, Wolfe would score the Sharks next seven points and ultimately secure the 72-50 season-opening win for Nova Southeastern.
Aubrey Stupp: 20 points, three rebounds
Delaney Wolfe: 13 points, three 3-pointers
Madison Cloonan: 11 points, five rebounds
Head Coach LeAnn Freeland-Curry – Our defense was solid today. We played hard and together. Offensively, we must clean up our passing. We aren’t in sync yet, but we hope to get better tomorrow.
Aubrey Stupp – It was a great way to start the season. It was such a fun win for us. We have so many girls in their final seasons and we are hungrier than ever! We are excited for this season and the talent we have.
Nova Southeastern takes on Auburn Montgomery in the second half of a back-to-back on Saturday, Nov. 9. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. EST.
To stay up-to-date on Sharks Women’s Basketball, follow on Instagram and Twitter at NSU_WBasketball.
