LAKELAND - The Lady Mocs could not overcome a stellar performance by Nova Southeastern's Stephanie Sarosi and dropped their final regular season game, 71-58, here Saturday night at Jenkins Field House.
Sarosi, last year's league MVP and this season's SSC scoring and rebounding leader, scored 31 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to help the Sharks claim the No. 4 seed in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament starting Wednesday. The Moccasins and Sharks were tied for fourth place entering the game and the loss means the Mocs must play on the road Wednesday night at Nova Southeastern.
The Moccasins had not lost a home conference game this season going into Saturday's contest, but a first half in which they scored just 13 points and shot just 17 percent left them in too big a hole to recover from.
NSU had a 26-13 advantage at halftime and kept the lead in double digits through the first 10 minutes of the second half. A three-pointer by Danielle Walsh at the 9:26 mark made it a seven-point game, 43-36, and Michaela Hawley's layup with 5:31 to go cut the margin to six at 48-42, but the Moccasins were unable to get any closer. Led by the 6-5 Sarosi, the Sharks out-rebounded the Moccasins 49-27.
Chelsea Johnson led the Moccasins' scoring with 22 points. Megan Dzikas was the only other Moccasin in double figures, as she scored 12.
The Moccasins (18-9) and Sharks (13-14) will meet for the third time this season Wednesday night at Nova Southeastern in the first round of the SSC Tournament.
