DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle women's basketball team got 20 points from sophomore Sabrina Whiting, but that wasn't enough for the Eagles (3-3) to grab a win as they fell to undefeated Sioux Falls (7-0) 63-51 in the final game of the Bahama House/Best Western Aku Tiki Classic, Saturday at the ICI Center.
 
The Eagles were 33.3 percent from the floor, while the Cougars connected on 24 of their 64 shot attempts (37.5 percent). USF had a 43-38 edge in rebounds but made the most of their offensive boards, besting the Eagles 18-4 in second chance points.
 
"I thought our team played really hard and had some great defensive possessions," ERAU Head Coach Lisa Nuxol-Wilson said. "We defended the three-point line well and really guarded their tough motion offense, but we gave up way too many offensive rebounds and that hurt us a lot tonight."
 
The first half featured end-to-end action that saw the Eagles shoot 64.3 percent (9-of-14) from the field. Whiting was perfect for the Blue and Gold in the first 10 minutes, going 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc for 10 first quarter points. The Eagle defense was able to match the Cougars' fast-paced offense limiting the visitors to just 36.8 percent (7-for-19) and their top scorer Taylor Varsho to just one made basket on the way to a 21-15 lead at the end of the first period.
 
The Cougars had an answer for the Eagles' strong start in the second frame, outscoring ERAU 15-2 in the first seven minutes to move ahead 30-23. A Mercedes Jorge three, a Laniere Coleman layup and a pair of free throws by Ashley McWilliams helped the Eagles tie the game at 30-30 with 1:44 left, but Alison Klostergard scored the last four points of the period to put USF up 34-30 at the half.
 
The Eagles looked to return to the form that had given them the lead early in the contest, but while the Cougars only shot 36.8 percent from the field in the third period, their effort on the offensive board yielded nine second-chance points and helped widen the gap to 54-40.
 
In the final period, the USF lead swelled to as many as 19 points with 4:44 left to play. At that point, the Eagles went on a 9-0 run that cut the lead to 61-51, but over the final 2:31, the only points either side could muster were a pair of free Cougar free throws that sealed the win.
 
"I am really proud of our team," Nuxol-Wilson added. "We played back-to-back games and I was really happy to see how we came out and competed against a really great team. This was a great game for us to play and see what we need to work on to continue to grow as a program. We are improving every game and that's our goal". 
 
The game's high scorer, Whiting finished at 8-of-15 from the field with four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
 
The Cougars had three players in double figures, including Varsho, who finished with 16 points.
 
The Eagles' next game will be against Rollins at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the ICI Center.