MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—There will be a Black Out in the Health & Sports Center on Saturday, Feb. 17 as the Barry Buccaneers battle the Nova Southeastern Sharks on ESPN3 in the D-II Basketball Showcase. Both games have major implications for the Sunshine State Conference Tournament. The women tip off at 2:02, with the men following approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game.

Game Coverage Links

Game	Time	Live Stats	ESPN3
Women	2:00 pm
Men	4:00 pm

Women's Basketball - Saturday, Feb. 17, 2:00 pm, Health & Sports Center

Two teams battling for the last hosting spot in the conference tournament quarterfinals meet up when Barry (15-10, 8-9 SSC) takes on Nova Southeastern on Saturday (10-12, 7-10 SSC). The Bucs are in fifth place, two games in the loss column behind fourth-place Tampa with three games to play. NSU is tied for sixth.

The Bucs have dropped four in a row after losing 60-45 at Florida Tech on Wednesday. And though they've lost two in a row at home, for the season, they are 11-3 on Cesar Odio Court.

Kiara Palmer has gotten her game back on track. Over the last six games, the 6-0 senior has averaged 19.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 steals. Unfortunately, the Bucs are just 1=5 in those six games. For the season, Palmer is fourth in the conference in scoring (16.0), and first in rebounding (10.2) and blocked shots (2.9).   Barbara Cousiño is second on the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game and assists at 2.4 per game.

Although the Sharks snapped a two-game skid with a 75-66 win over Rollins at home on Wednesday, they are just 1-8 on the road this season and have dropped seven in a row in conference away from Rick Case Arena

The Sharks are without Buc-killer Kayla Wright, who has been out of the lineup since recording 33 points and 14 rebounds against Barry on Dec. 30. Allison Hughes and Christen Prasse lead the Sharks with 12.7 points per game. Prasse also leads the team with 4.5 rebounds per game.

GAME NOTES:

• Nova Southeastern leads the all-time series 25-17 after winning 10 of the last 11.
• Earlier this season, the Sharks won 86-76 in Davie, Fla. Kayla Wright scored 33 points and added 14 rebounds. Cheray Saunders added a season-high 21 points. Cousiño led four Bucs in double figures with 18 points, while Palmer had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
• The Sharks are just 1-8 on the road, while Barry is 11-3 at home.

Men's Basketball - Saturday, Feb. 17, 4:00 pm, Health & Sports Center

Barry (16-6, 12-5 Sunshine State Conference) and Nova Southeastern (17-6, 11-6 SSC) will meet in a battle for first place in the league in an ESPN3 broadcast as part of the NCAA Division II Basketball Showcase.
 
"It's exciting," Barry fifth-year head coach Butch Estes said. "I'm glad we were chosen. I'm glad that we will have this opportunity to share Barry University with the whole country."
 
The Buccaneers beat the Sharks, 100-73, in the first meeting in Davie earlier this season. But now this game is growing into a huge one with regular season title implications.
 
"The opportunity is a reward for the hard work and the commitment that not only our players, but the Nova players have put in as well," Estes said. "When you do go head-to-head with your rival, it has more significance."
 
The Sharks have won five in a row. The Bucs have won their past three. Nova Southeastern has the top-scoring offense in the league. Barry is second. NSU has averaged 86 points over its past five wins. Barry has scored 90.7 points over its past three wins.
 
NSU's David Dennis is averaging a team-leading 20.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.95 assists per game. He scored 20 points, and had eight assists in the first meeting between the two teams. Malik Hardy is scoring 16 points per game. Nick Smith is averaging 13.3 points and 5.3 rebounds. He had 15 points against the Bucs in December. Dwayne Gibson is scoring 11.2 points per game. Gerard Tarin had 15 points in the first meeting.
 
Barry's Daniel Mortensen has scored in double figures in the last three games, and is averaging 13 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He had 26 points against the Sharks earlier this season. Elvar Fridriksson leads the Bucs in scoring (21.0), and ranks sixth in the country in assists per game (7.4). He scored 20 points, and had nine assists the first time the two teams met. Sawyer Glick is scoring 15 points per game, and ranks 12^th in the country in three-point field goals per game (3.36). Sunday Dech is averaging 12.1 points and 6.7 rebounds. Marko Tomic and Johannes Dolven are both scoring 9.1 points per game.
 
"I'm glad we're getting back healthy," Estes said. "Obviously, this year has been a challenge. We've been dealt a lot of curve balls this year. Fortunately, it appears we're healthy again. On the other side, I admire what (NSU) Coach (Jim) Crutchfield has done. They've established themselves in a very short period of time. The rivalry between Nova and Barry will be enjoyed Saturday, and hopefully for years to come."

GAME NOTES:

• The Buccaneers hold a 40-19 edge in the series, including eight of the last nine.
• Earlier this season, the Bucs scored a 100-73 win over the Sharks at Rick Case Arena. Daneil Mortensen scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Elvar Fridriksson added 20 points and nine assists. Sunday Dech had 17 points and nine rebounds. David Dennis led NSU with 20 points and eight assists, but shot just 6-of-16 from the field.
• The Bucs lead the SSC in made three-pointers at 12.5 and percentage at 38.6 percent.
• Despite their outside proclivities, the Bucs average 33.6 points per game in the paint and 12.6 on second-chance opportunities
• Barry is getting 28.4 points per game off the bench.
• Though Nova Southeastern and Barry rank 1-2 in scoring offense, with the Sharks leading, they are very different defensively. Barry is fifth in the league in scoring defense and fourth in field goal percentage defense at 45.7. The Sharks rank last in both categories. They allow opponents to shoot 48.3 percent from the floor.