WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Palm Beach Atlantic women's basketball team returned home today to host the No. 21 ranked Nova Southeastern Sharks. Facing the top side in the league, the Sailfish pushed the Sharks to overtime before coming up short in extra time 89-85. PBA falls to 13-12 with the defeat and 7-10 in Sunshine State Conference play.

The Sailfish jumped out to a 7-0 lead as they started the game with high energy on both ends of the floor. The Sharks worked their way back into the game after the 'Fish held them scoreless for four minutes. PBA slowed from the floor after the hot start as Kash Ayuso and Jillian Schenk led the way with four first-quarter points each. The Sailfish held the Sharks to 2-of-11 shooting and forced seven turnovers but NSU lived at the line, making 8-of-11. PBA trailed 13-11 after the first ten minutes of play.

The offense picked up for both sides from that point on, as the Sailfish narrowly outscored the Sharks in the second quarter, 21-20. Ayuso scored seven in the quarter and PBA got solid production off their bench as Jahnae Midget added seven of her own and Brielle Marlow added three off the bench. The Sailfish shot over 40 percent in the first half but were outscored by nine at the charity stripe as they trailed NSU 33-32 at the half. 

It looked like the ranked Sharks were pulling away in the third quarter as they pounded the ball inside against the short-handed Sailfish. PBA was struggling with foul trouble throughout the lineup and trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter. Zoe Wortinger off the bench provided a spark as she scored seven points in the quarter.

Similar to earlier this week against Florida Tech, PBA stormed back into the game in the fourth. Ayuso put the offense on her shoulders as she scored 13 of her game-high 30 points in the final quarter. Ashleigh Boulin came to life late as she scored six of her 12 in the fourth. Trailing by eight with under two minutes remaining, PBA cut their deficit to one after an Ayuso three-pointer with 33 seconds left. NSU hit 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to leave the door slightly ajar for the 'Fish and Ayuso was able to take advantage, converting on two driving layups late and forcing overtime tied at 79.

Like they did throughout the night, the Sharks lived at the line in overtime. They scored seven of their ten points from the stripe in overtime and went 31-of-38 for the game as PBA ran out of gas in extra time. After 42 points last game, Ayuso finished with 30 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. Boulin finished with 12 points and seven boards while Midget and Wortinger finished with 11 and 10 points respectively off the bench. PBA outshot the Sharks from the floor but left ten points at the line going 21-for-31.

The Sailfish are back in action in one of their biggest games of the year as they hit the road to face Saint Leo. PBA sits in the seventh seed of the SSC tournament, two games ahead of the Lions with three games remaining. PBA beat Saint Leo 50-47 when the two sides met previously this season.