FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 4 Nova Southeastern University women's basketball team lifts the lid off the 2015-16 season for their annual NSU Tipoff Classic, hosting two regional opponents from the Gulf South Conference at the NSU Arena this weekend.
 
The Sharks, 27-6 a year ago and fresh off their third straight Elite Eight appearance, will host the GSC duo of North Alabama and Lee on Friday and Saturday, respectively, trading opposition with fellow Sunshine State Conference school Barry. It'll be NSU vs. UNA Friday at noon, followed immediately by Barry vs. Lee; then on Saturday, Barry plays UNA at noon, with the Sharks and Lee tipping off at 8 p.m.
 
North Alabama is coming off a 15-12 season and an opening-round exit from the GSC Tournament. They were chosen fifth in their conference's preseason poll, with Shark Saturday opponent Lee chosen third. The Flames had a 23-8 mark a year ago and went 14-8 against GSC opponents, but weren't eligible for the GSC postseason because they were amidst the transition to DII. Instead, they earned the NCCAA National Championship for the third and final time in program history.
 
For both the Lions and Flames, it will also be their first games of the regular season. UNA returns just one of their top six scorers of a year ago, who was also their leading distributor, in Janae Lyde. The now-senior point guard averaged 9.3 points and 5.7 assists per contest. For Lee, their second, third, fourth and fifth-leading scorers are back in Erin Walsh (14.4), Shelby Brown (11.8), Carrie Cheeks (8.9) and Kayla Beavers (7.0). Also returning is top rebounder Christina Johnson, at eight a night.
 
The Sharks have two starters of a year ago in the fold – Monaye Merritt (R-Sr., Philadelphia) and Alexis Murphy (Sr., Carlisle, Ohio) – as well as 2013-14 All-American Taylor Buie (R-Jr., Puyallup, Wash.). Murphy paced the squad in their only public exhibition of this preseason with 12 points at Miami. Molly Blomer (Sr., West Chester, Ohio) had 11, with Katie Barnard (R-So., Granger, Ind.) and Buie each chipping in with eight.
 
This will be the first time NSU has faced either Lee or UNA in their program history. Last season, the Sharks went 3-1 against Gulf South competition, defeating Alabama-Huntsville and Shorter in the 2014 version of this Tipoff Classic, while also falling to Union during the regular season, but avenging that loss in the South Region Championship in mid-March.
 
All four games throughout the weekend will have live streaming with audio and live stats, with every link available at the NSU Stretch portal HERE. They can be found individually for the two NSU games at the top of this page.