FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – After seeing their 11-point halftime lead whittled and eventually turned into a deficit, the Nova Southeastern University women's basketball team rallied back to defeat the Embry-Riddle Eagles, 85-79, in the quarterfinals of the Sunshine State Conference Tournament at the Rick Case Arena on Wednesday evening.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
FINAL: W, 85-79
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern University Sharks (18-10), Embry-Riddle Eagles (17-11)
LOCATION: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
1ST QUARTER | The Sharks scored six quick points in the first 1:05, with layups by Jordan Tully, Mikayla Thompson, and Claire McMahon, at which point Embry-Riddle called a timeout. The Eagles kept it close for the next few minutes, getting within three points at the 6:08 mark, but the Sharks exploded out for 10 straight as part of a 15-2 run, ballooning their lead up to 16 points. Back-to-back three-pointers by Alison Hughes, part of an 11-point quarter for her, gave the Sharks their first 10-point lead of the game and punctuated the 10-0 run. The Sharks shot 53 percent (10-19) from the field as a team and used four 3-pointers to double up their opponents in the opening frame, 26-13, while the Eagles were 0-for-4 from long range.
 
2ND QUARTER | The Sharks maintained their double-digit lead for the majority of the second period, but a 5-0 ERAU run in a span of 27 seconds did get it down to just seven, at 32-25. The Sharks responded with six in a row of their own, four off the hand of McMahon, to render it neutral. The Sharks led by 11 (43-32) heading into the locker room, shooting above 50 percent (54 percent, 7-of-13) for the second quarter in a row.
 
3RD QUARTER | After Thompson made the second half's first bucket, the Eagles began to chip into the now-13-point deficit, scoring nine in a row to kickstart an 18-3 run that would see them take a 50-48 lead, their largest of the game. The Sharks used an 8-1 run, however, to regain the lead by five points, at 56-51, the same margin they would hold entering the final frame.
 
4TH QUARTER | Continuing the trend from the third quarter, the Eagles stayed close for the entirety of the final period, tying the game for the fourth and final time at 68 with 5:34 remaining, following back-to-back three-pointers. They hit another just 59 seconds later to take the lead at 71-70 for what would prove to be the last time, as well, as the Sharks regained their edge with an Hughes jumper a mere 22 seconds after that, and the Sharks never relinquished the lead for the game's final 4:13. The Eagles got within a single point twice, but the Sharks scored on their next possession both times to keep Embry-Riddle at bay, and scored the last five points over the remaining 23 seconds, including 3-of-4 at the line to ice it.
 
INSIDE THE STATS:
 

• All five Sharks starters scored in double-digits, led by Hughes' team-high 18 points. She shot 7-of-13 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range.
• McMahon was right behind Hughes with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, as well as 4-for-6 at the charity stripe.
• Thompson brought down a career-high 13 rebounds and scored 13 points on 4-for-6 from the field and 5-for-6 at the line, as well, for her third double-double of the season. She also tallied three steals.
• Jordan Tully scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while collecting five rebounds and swatting away three shots.
• Christen Prasse had another all-around game, filling up the stat sheet with 10 points, three rebounds, eight assists and four steals.
• Sarah Jones and Lauren Ellenberger scored all 13 points for the Eagles in the first quarter, and 23 of 32 in the first half. They combined for just 12 after halftime, but Embry-Riddle's leading scorer, Nicole Tucker, who was held scoreless in the first quarter and to just two points in the second, exploded for 23 in the second half on 9-of-12 shooting, giving her a game-high 25 points.

 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• With four more three-pointers, Hughes continues to climb the program's all-time rankings. Her 85 this season are just ten away from matching Taylor Buie's record from the 2013-14 season, and she has now passed Molly Blomer for fifth with 160 in her career. 

 
UP NEXT:
 
The Sharks will face top-seeded Florida Southern in the tournament semifinals on Saturday. The action will start at 12:00 p.m. from the Rick Case Arena, the first of four semifinals games to be held that day.
 
 
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
 
Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_WBasketball.