BABSON PARK, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle women's basketball team saw a late lead slip away in the Eagles' first-ever Sun Conference game on Wednesday night as the Webber International Warriors pulled away for a 47-38 victory in Babson Park. The Blue and Gold fell to 2-3, 0-1 in league play, while the Warriors improved to 4-1, 1-0 in conference.
Sabrina Whiting knocked down a pair of free throws to put the Eagles ahead, 38-37 with 3:49 left. From that point, WIU scored the game's final 10 points to escape with the nine-point victory.
Taylor Cyphers and Ashley McWilliams led ERAU in scoring with nine points apiece and Cyphers grabbed a game-high and program-record 16 boards. Whiting chipped in with eight points and a team-high three assists while Kalah Martin and Mercedes Jorge each pulled down 10 rebounds.
Deslyn Applewhaite led all players with 15 points, 11 of which came in the second period. Jurnee Pettigrew added nine points and Shakeria Wilson and Shakesha Hull each added seven. Arlia Greene led the team with seven rebounds while four Warriors each tallied an assist, as the team compiled just four assists on 13 made field goals.
Wilson converted an and-one to give WIU a 3-1 lead early, but it would be short-lived as Whiting scored on a fast-break layup five seconds later to tie it at three. The Eagles took the lead shortly thereafter on another fast-break layup, this time from Cyphers, and the Blue and Gold would stay in front for much of the rest of the contest.
Cyphers knocked down a free throw that pushed the Eagle lead to 20-9 with 8:37 left in the half, giving Embry-Riddle its largest lead of the game. Webber International finished the half on a 7-0 run to trim the lead to a single point as ERAU went into the locker room with a 23-22 advantage.
The Eagles maintained a slim lead throughout the second half, pulling ahead by as many as six after a Martin fast-break layup made it 33-27 with 11:51 left. A Pettigrew layup pulled the Warriors even at 34-34 with 6:10 to play, marking the first time ERAU was not in the lead in over 30 minutes of play.
An Applewhaite free throw gave the Warriors their first lead since it was 3-1 early in the game when WIU moved ahead, 37-36 with 3:49 left in the contest. After Whiting's free throws put the Blue and Gold back out front, it was the Warriors who scored the game's final 10 points to come away with the 47-38 win.
The Eagles will be back in action next week when they travel outside the Sunshine State for the first time. ERAU will play at Brewton Parker in Mount Vernon, Georgia on Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. before facing Coastal Georgia in Brunswick, Georgia on Dec. 13 at 2 p.m.
