DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.  - Kaliyah Morales, Taydra Simpson and Hailey Chiles each scored 17 points, but it wasn't enough as #9 Nova Southeastern fell to #17 Embry-Riddle 91-80 on the road. Markayla Holland added 10 rebounds, seven steals and seven points for a near triple-double, but the Eagles thwarted the Sharks' fourth-quarter comeback attempt.



Score: #9 Nova Southeastern 80 | #17 Embry Riddle 91
Records: #9 Nova Southeastern 22-3 (14-3 SSC) | #17 Embry-Riddle 18-5 (13-4 SSC)
Location: ICI Center | Daytona Beach, Fla.
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The Sharks fell behind 6-0 before Kaliyah Morales knocked down a jumper to get them on the board 90 seconds into the contest. However, the Eagles got a stickback from Elianna Sheplee and later got a three-pointer from Kailey Turpening to go up 13-4 with 6:26 remaining in the quarter. Sheplee scored four straight points to give the Eagles a 21-8 cushion with just over three minutes remaining before Bridie McCann drilled a three-pointer for the Sharks. Hailey Chiles split two free throw attempts, and NSU trailed 27-12 at the end of the first.

Both teams struggled to score in the opening minutes of the second frame. Anye' Staton's bucket at the 6:58 mark gave Embry-Riddle a 15-point, 31-16 lead. The Sharks cut the deficit to 10 twice, first on a layup from Hailey Chiles just before the media timeout, and again when McCann was fouled on a made three-pointer at the 2:55 mark. McCann converted the four-point play to cut the Eagles' lead to 39-29. Alyssa Brasko hit another three-pointer for the Eagles with less than a minute remaining, but Taydra Simpson responded with a score for NSU, and the Sharks trailed 44-35 at the half. 

The Eagles went up by 14 points early in the third, but the Sharks kept chipping away at the deficit. Brianna Williams converted an and-one opportunity to cut the lead to 49-41, and Morales then converted an and-one moments later to cut the lead to 49-44. The Eagles pushed the lead back to 10 points before Simpson responded with a three-pointer with just under four minutes remaining. The Eagles kept the Sharks at bay, getting free throws from Laurie Satchell and Mary Lengemann to keep them at arm's length. Embry-Riddle took a 71-62 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Sharks mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, opening the frame on an 8-2 run. The run featured a steal and score from Morales, two buckets from Markayla Holland and two free throws from Morales. Her second free throw cut the Eagles' advantage to 73-70 with six minutes remaining. However, the Eagles responded with an 8-2 run of their own over the next three minutes, taking an 81-72 lead with 3:02 remaining. Timely three-pointers from Turpening and Brasko pushed the lead back to double digits, and the Sharks fell 91-80.




The Sharks move to 22-3, with a 14-3 record in conference play. They'll return home to face Saint Leo for Senior Day on Saturday, Feburary 21 at 2:00 PM. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Women's Basketball, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter/X at NSU_WBasketball.