FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Amber Shelton scored a team-high 17 points and Allison Fogle added 16 off the bench as Southern Illinois University Edwardsville defeated Nova Southeastern in its opening game of the Cruzin' Classic.
         The Cougars, 7-1, face Southwest Baptist in Miami Shores, Fla, Monday in its other tournament game.
         SIUE held a 33-23 lead at halftime and led by as much as 13 in the second half but had to hold off a charge from the Sharks, 2-5.
         Eliza Allen led the Sharks with 19 points. Guard Amber Bishko added a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Allen pulled within one point at 65-64 with 3:12 to play as Allen hit the final three-pointer of her five for the game. The game remained close to the final buzzer when Nova Southeastern's Ashley Wilson missed a shot with no time left on the clock.
         The Cougars hit a season-high 10 three-pointers in the game, including four from Fogle. Shelton led SIUE down the stretch, scoring 12 of her 17 points in the second half on 5-of-8 shooting in the final 20 minutes.
         It was the free throw line in the finaql three minutes which lifted the Cougars. Whitney Sykes, who had 12 points, hit a pair with 2:54 to go and Julianne McMillen added another pair with 2:20 to play.
                  -siue cougars-