FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Nova Southeastern women's basketball team ended 2023 with an impressive victory over Embry-Riddle on Saturday afternoon from the Rick Case Arena. Double-digit efforts from Nicole Scales (18), Jess Moors (16), Aubrey Stupp (13), and Alana Ellis (13) led the Sharks to their sixth straight victory.
SCORE: Nova Southeastern 80, Embry-Riddle 71
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern 8-3, 3-1 SSC, Embry-Riddle 8-2, 2-1 SSC
LOCATION: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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First Half – The Sharks jumped out to an early 10-5 lead after buckets from Moors, Scales, Ellis, and Suzan Kinran. Embry-Riddle would cut the Sharks lead to one after knocking down a pair of free throws. In the ensuing possession, a three-pointer by Scales would kick off a 10-0 run for NSU, giving the Sharks a 20-9 lead heading into the second quarter. Back-to-back three-pointers from Scales, extended the Sharks lead to 15 with just under seven minutes remaining in the quarter. Tenacious defense from NSU kept the Eagles offense at bay throughout the rest of the quarter as the Sharks headed into halftime with a 16-point lead.
Second Half – Moors knocked down a three-pointer to kick off the second-half action for NSU. With 2:35 remaining in the quarter, Scales made a jumper to extend NSU's lead to 62-44, which ultimately sent the Sharks into the final frame with a 62-46 lead. At the 3:24 mark in the fourth quarter, the Eagles cut their deficit to nine points but five consecutive points from Zeyno Seren withstood Embry-Riddle's late surge. Nova Southeastern's defense secured the 80-71 victory over the #14 ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles, giving the Sharks their sixth straight victory.
Nicole Scales: 18 points, four 3PM
Jess Moors: 16 points, five rebounds
Aubrey Stupp: 13 points, six rebounds
Alana Ellis: 13 points
Head Coach LeAnn Freeland-Curry: "I'm proud of our effort today. Embry Riddle is a very good team and our players knew how important this game was for us. We came out ready to work hard and executed the game plan well, especially in the first half."
Nova Southeastern will kick off 2024 with a road matchup against Florida Southern on January 3rd. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
