FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Nov. 20, 2009) - With the game tied 69-69, Abbie Tepe (Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio) calmly sank a clutch free throw with four seconds remaining as Nova Southeastern University women's basketball team rallied and topped Armstrong Atlantic State 70-69 in the NSU/Courtyard by Marriott Tip-Off Classic on Friday night at The Arena at the Don Taft University Center.

In the first half, NSU outscored the Pirates 11-4 in the first five-and-a-half minutes. A Rheisa Burke (Fr., Port Charlotte, Fla.) jumper at 14:37 put the Sharks up by seven. However, the Pirates chipped away at the Sharks' lead and tied the game at 11-all on a Lauren Hall jumper at 12:57.

NSU and Armstrong Atlantic State stayed close to each other for the remainder of the first half. There were three more ties in the half. Additionally, neither team took a lead greater than three points. The Sharks held a 21-18 advantage as Lindsey Newpher (Sr., Depew, Okla.) drained a three-pointer at 5:43. Meanwhile, Armstrong Atlantic State's three-point lead came as Hall sank a shot from beyond the arc made it 28-25 with 1:37 remaining. Tara Haddock (Sr., Citrus Springs, Fla.) made a free throw with 1:01 left in the half to make it 28-26, which would ultimately be the score heading in to halftime.

After a quick layup by Jada Buckner (So., Loudon, Tenn.) began the second half, the Pirates used a 7-2 run to take a 36-30 lead with 16:24 to go. NSU gradually cut the Pirates' lead down to two, but Armstrong Atlantic State used three made free throws from Hall and two from Portia Jones to go up by six again.

NSU answered with six straight points of its own. Tepe made a layup, drew a foul and made her free throw at 11:29 to make it a three-point, 41-38 game in favor of Armstrong Atlantic State. Meanwhile, Haddock drilled a three-pointer at 11:01 to knot the game up at 41-41.

However, Armstrong Atlantic State's offense started to come on strongly. The Pirates outscored the Sharks 16-7 to ultimately take an eight-point 57-49 lead with 5:57 to go. The Sharks rallied back, forcing two more ties as a pair of Meloney Fosburgh (So., Phoenix, Ariz.) free throws deadlocked the game at 60-60 with 3:12 left.

A layup by Arpine Amirkhanyan put the Pirates up by two. However, Priscilla Perez (Jr., Miami, Fla.) hit a critical three-point shot at the 2:39 mark to give NSU the 63-62 edge. Meanwhile, a Buckner layup about 35 seconds later gave NSU a three-point advantage. NSU took two additional three-point leads, including one with 20 seconds to go in the game as Erin Zampell (So., Naples, Fla.) hit a pair of free throws.

A Hall three-pointer with 13 seconds left provided the 10th tie of the game as NSU and Armstrong Atlantic State were knotted up at 69-69. However, a foul by Brooke Long with four seconds left proved to be costly as it put Tepe on the foul line for what was ultimately the game-winning basket.

NSU was 23-for-68 from the floor, shooting 33.8 percent. Armstrong Atlantic State shot 31.8 percent and was 21-for-66. NSU also held a 51-46 advantage in rebounds.

Tepe scored a team-high 14 points and had four steals. Buckner added 12 points. Fosburgh pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds and was the only player in the game tally 10-or-more rebounds.

Jones tallied a game-high 22 points. Hall and Amirkhanyan scored 17 and 16 points, respectively. Dartayvia Thomas grabbed a team-best nine rebounds.

NSU closes out the NSU/Courtyard by Marriott Tip-Off Classic on Saturday. The Sharks face Georgia College & State, who topped Barry in the first game 71-54. Tip-off for the NSU-Georgia College & State game is set for 4:00 p.m. at The Arena at the Don Taft University Center.