FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The #NSU50 "Top Moments in NSU Athletics History" continues with the 27th moment on the list: Nova Southeastern University women's basketball wins first Sunshine State Conference Championship and makes first appearance in the NCAA South Region Tournament.
  
The 2007-08 NSU women's basketball team made a surprise splash and seemingly took over the Sunshine State Conference overnight. The Sharks would return eight players and five seniors from a 2006-07 team that only won nine games. The Sharks would have mid-level expectations and were selected fifth in the SSC preseason poll. However, the results flipped with a more experienced core of seniors and a recruiting class that shook up the rotation. Two of the newcomers became starters and all-time greats in Stephanie Sarosi (future two-time SSC Player of the Year) and Abbie Tepe (current program record holder in career assists).
 
After starting the season 2-2, the emergence of Sarosi, who missed those first four games due to injury, sparked the Sharks on a run that saw them win 13 of 16 games, including a then-program record-tying eight straight wins.
 
After a 61-58 loss to SSC rival Tampa on Feb. 6, a game many figured would decide the eventual conference champion, NSU rattled off nine consecutive wins, setting a new program record and earning the SSC regular-season title in the process.
 
The run, and perhaps the entire season, was capped on Sunday, March 9, as the Sharks defeated two-time defending SSC Tournament Champion Tampa, 53-47, to give NSU its first-ever NCAA Tournament bid. In that contest, the Sharks trailed 20-14, but rallied in the second half behind a 27-point effort from Sarosi. 21 points of Sarosi's total came in the second period to seal the tournament title.
 
In the opening round of the NCAA South Region Tournament, the Sharks found themselves down early against West Georgia, much as they did against Tampa in the SSC title game. Throughout the season, NSU had shown a knack for completing comebacks and winning close games. However, in this instance, the Sharks closed the gap on the Wolves, taking a late lead, but were unable to hang on for the win and fell in a heartbreaker, 71-66. Despite the outcome, the game served as a benchmark for a program that has now won two NCAA South Region Tournament Championships.
 
Sarosi had the most decorated season of any individual player to that point in program history. She was a four-time SSC Player of the Week en route to being tabbed SSC Player of the Year, the first in program history. Following a 20.3 point per game performance in the SSC Tournament, Sarosi was selected to the All-Tournament Team and garnered Tournament MVP accolades. She also earned Daktronics First-Team All-South Region honors and was selected as a Fourth-Team All-American by DII Hoops Bulletin. In her first season with the Sharks, Sarosi set new program single-season bests in field goals made (220), field goal percentage (.570) and blocked shots (95). Additionally, she set the single-game rebounds mark after pulling down 21 against perennial NCAA Tournament participants Shaw.
 
Tepe also made key contributions throughout the Sharks' season. Tepe established herself as one of the top point guards in the SSC. She totaled a conference-high 140 assists and ranked second in assists per game (4.52). Her 140 assists was also a new NSU single-season record as were her 75 steals. Since 2008, her assist mark was broken by only herself (2010-11) and Jessica Russi (2013-14). Tepe garnered SSC All-Freshman Team and All-Tournament nods.
 
NSU earned vital contributions from seniors Amber Bishko and Ashley Wilson, as well as junior Eliza Allen. Bishko, who earned SSC All-Tournament Team honors, shot .492 (124-for-252) from the floor. She was second on the team in scoring with 10.8 points per contest. Wilson was the only Shark to start in all of NSU's 31 games and totaled 123 rebounds. Allen was NSU's top threat from three-point range, sinking 63-of-169 shots for a .373 clip. She also had 125 assists, which is second on NSU's single-season list.
 
After guiding NSU to its most successful year to date, head coach Marilyn Rule received SSC Coach-of-the-Year honors. She was also selected by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association as the South Region Coach-of-the-Year.

Check back with NSUSharks.com next Tuesday for the next #NSU50 "Top Moments in NSU Athletics History."

Moment No. 1: NSU Athletics is Born
Moment No. 2: Knights Chosen as School Mascot
Moment No. 3: Hansley Hired as Director of Athletics
Moment No. 4: Nova Adds Four Sports
Moment No. 5: Nova Joins NAIA
Moment No. 6: Nova Adds Three More Teams
Moment No. 7: Nova Helps Form FIAC
Moment No. 8: Nova Wins First Conference Championship
Moment No. 9: Baseball and Volleyball Win First Conference Titles
Moment No. 10: NSU Adds Softball
Moment No. 11: NSU Adds Women's Soccer and Wins FSC Tournament Championship
Moment No. 12: NSU Names Ray Ferrero Jr. as School's Fifth President
Moment No. 13: NSU Adds Women's Basketball and Wins Conference Title in First Season
Moment No. 14: NSU Jumps to NCAA Division II and Sunshine State Conference
Moment No. 15: Kyle Ruwe Becomes NSU's First NCAA All-American
Moment No. 16: NSU adds Rowing, Tennis and Men's Cross Country
Moment No. 17: NSU Breaks Ground on University Center
Moment No. 18: Rembe Becomes NSU's First Female NCAA All-American
Moment No. 19: NSU Men's Golf Wins First SSC Championship
Moment No. 20: NSU Unveils Sharks as New Mascot
Moment No. 21: NSU Enshrines Inaugural Hall of Fame Class
Moment No. 22: Women's Golfer Garcia Austt Becomes NSU's First-Ever NCAA Player and Freshman of Year
Moment No. 23: NSU Tennis Goes Program-Best 22-3
Moment No. 24: NSU Volleyball Hosts the Inaugural Sharks Classic
Moment No. 25: NSU Begins Outdoor Track and Field Programs
Moment No. 26: NSU Volleyball Earns First-Ever NCAA Postseason Bid

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