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Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Athletics

WBB Team Celebration
Calan Gizelbach
80
Nova Southeastern Nova 22-3,14-3 Sunshine State
91
Winner Embry-Riddle (FL) ERAU 18-5,13-4 Sunshine State
Nova Southeastern Nova
22-3,14-3 Sunshine State
80
Final
91
Embry-Riddle (FL) ERAU
18-5,13-4 Sunshine State
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Nova Southeastern Nova 12 23 27 18 80
Embry-Riddle (FL) ERAU 27 17 27 20 91

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Zach Phillips

Eagles Lead Wire-to-Wire in 91-80 Upset Over No. 9 Nova Southeastern

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Embry-Riddle women's basketball scored on their opening possession of the game and never relinquished the lead in their 91-80 upset of No. 9 Nova Southeastern. The Eagles would hold the lead for 39:48 of the 40-minute game while delivering their highest-scoring performance of the calendar year. Eliana Sheplee and Kailey Turpening combined for 50 points this evening, with each guard going 6-for-7 at the free throw line. As a team, ERAU went 21-for-27 from the charity stripe, enough to rank among the top 10 single-game free-throw totals in program history.

RECORDS:
Embry-Riddle: 18-5, (13-4, SSC)
Nova Southeastern: 22-3, (14-3, SSC)
 
GAME NOTES
  • The Sharks lead the all-time series 15-9 over the Eagles.
  • ERAU and NSU have split their last six matchups, 3-3. The two teams met on four occasions last year, twice in the regular season, once in the SSC tournament, and again in the national tournament.
  • The last time Embry-Riddle played Nova Southeastern at the ICI Center, the Blue and Gold beat the Sharks 55-51 in the SSC tournament championship (Mar. 9, 2025).
  • Embry-Riddle has guaranteed themselves a spot in the SSC Quarterfinals on March 3. The Blue and Gold are only 1.5 games back of 1st place, with three games left in the season. 

KEY PERFORMERS
Embry-Riddle Nova Southeastern
  • Player 1: Kaliyah Morales - 17 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl
  • Player 2: Taydra Simpson - 17 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast
  • Player 3: Hailey Chiles - 17 pts, 2 reb

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
  • Embry-Riddle started the game with back-to-back buckets from Laurie Satchell, including a tip-in off of an offensive rebound. The Eagles outrebounded the Sharks 14-6 in the first quarter.
  • Eliana Sheplee scored the next six points for ERAU, putting the Blue and Gold up 10-4 just over three minutes into the game. 
  • A three from Kailey Turpening forced NSU to take a timeout at the 6:25 mark, trailing 13-4. The Sharks respond with a bucket on two consecutive possessions.
  • Sheplee would once again score six straight points for the Eagles, finishing the quarter with 12 points in just eight minutes of action. By the end of the period, Nova Southeastern had used a second timeout and trailed 27-12.
  • Embry-Riddle went 11-for-17 (.647) from the field in the quarter, while the Sharks were limited to a 5-for-18 (.278) shooting performance to open the game.

Second Quarter
  • After struggling to score in the first quarter, the Sharks forced the Eagles into 11 turnovers in the second quarter, converting those into 12 points off turnovers and 11 fastbreak points.
  • Hailey Chiles was the only player for Nova Southeastern to record a made field goal in the first five minutes of the quarter, scoring eight total points in the period, and 13 total points in the half.
  • Turpening would continue to pull the strings for ERAU's offense, finishing the half with eight points and six assists. She scored or assisted on every field goal for the Blue and Gold in the last 6:57 of the half.
  • An and-1 from Turpening at the 3:29 mark extended the lead to 39-23, Embry-Riddle's largest margin of the half.
  • NSU went on to cut the deficit in half over the next 90 seconds with an 8-0 run that included a 4-point play from Bridie McCann.
  • A late shot from Alyssa Brasko sent the teams into the halftime break with the Eagles leading 44-35.
Third Quarter
  • Both teams would shoot over 50% in the third quarter, as they combined for 54 points in the period, evenly split 27-27.
  • A quick three from Turpening to start the half and layup from Satchell off of a steal put Embry-Riddle back up by 14 in the first 30 seconds of the quarter.
  • After the start, the Blue and Gold would go scoreless for the next three minutes while NSU scored nine unanswered points, making the game 49-44 with 6:48 left.
  • The Sharks committed eight fouls in the quarter, giving the Eagles 10 total free throws, and ERAU was perfect from the line in the quarter. All 10 of those free throws came in the final 4:36 of the quarter, with Embry-Riddle able to maintain their nine-point lead at 71-62 heading into the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
  • Nova Southeastern went 6-for-18 (.333) from the field to close out the game, including 0-for-6 from behind the arc, while Embry-Riddle shot 7-for-14 (.500) and added a pair of threes.
  • Kaliyah Morales added 10 points and two rebounds in the quarter to try and lead a late comeback but NSU could never get the Eagles lead to within three points.
  • Sheplee recorded the first made basket of the quarter with 8:14 left to put ERAU up 73-62, but Morales and Markayla Holland went on an 8-0 run.
  • With the Sharks down by just 3, the closest they had been since it was 2-0, Sheplee would get an and-1 opportunity, putting the Blue and Gold up 75-70 with less than five minutes left.
  • After Morales cut it back to 75-72, ERAU would get three consecutive layups to close out the game, now leading it by nine with less just 2:52 remaining.
  • A pair of late three-pointers from Turpening and Brasko iced the game as the Eagles beat the SSC leaders in their last regular season home game of the season, 91-80.

INSIDE THE STATS
  • 91 total points, 21 made free throws, 29 points from Eliana Sheplee, and four blocks from Anye' Staton all rank among the top 10 single-game marks in program history.
  • Embry-Riddle is ranked 5th in the country in team field goal percentage (.469) this season, and were able to shoot over .500 today against the Sharks.
  • The Eagles made more threes than their opponent for just the third time this season. They are 3-0 in those contests.

UP NEXT
The Eagles will travel to Lynn on Saturday, February 21, at 2:00 p.m. This will begin Embry-Riddle's final road trip of the 2025-26 regular season, with ERAU looking to make one more push towards the SSC regular season title. The Fighting Knights currently have an 8-9 record in the SSC, sitting in 6th place.
 
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