DAVIE — The Nova Southeastern University women’s basketball team, which includes Skyla Osceola, will open its season Nov. 9 in Miami. The Sharks will face Delta State (Nov. 9) and Union (Nov. 10) in the GSC/SSC Crossover Challenge at Barry University. The home opener is Nov. 15 against Montevallo at 5:30 p.m.

Osceola, a 5-foot-8 guard, returns after a strong freshman season. Her 3.33 assist-turnover ratio led the Sunshine State Conference and was second in the nation. She started 20 of 27 games and snagged a team-high 66 defensive rebounds. She posted career highs in points (13) against Florida Tech, assists (9) versus Shaw and rebounds (7) on three separate occasions.

NSU has been selected to finish tied for fourth in the SSC with Embry-Riddle as voted on by the league’s coaches in a preseason poll. Florida Southern is favored to win its second consecutive regular-season championship. Coaches picked Eckerd second and Tampa third to round out the top three.

Nova Southeastern finished 2017-18 with an overall record of 13-14 and 9-11 against conference opponents. This season, the Sharks return nine players and welcome five newcomers, including four NCAA Division I transfers.