GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Embry-Riddle (13-8, 5-6) at Warner (5-16, 1-11)
DATE: Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015
CITY: Daytona Beach, Fla.
VENUE: ICI Center
TIP-OFF: 5 p.m. EST
LIVE STATS: ERAU Gameday Network
LIVE AUDIO: ERAU Gameday Network
LIVE VIDEO: ERAU Gameday Network

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
The Embry-Riddle women's basketball team will be looking snap a two-game losing skid after falling to Ave Maria 87-65 on the Lady Gyrenes home court on the road on Wednesday. The loss put the Eagles at 13-8 overall and 5-6 in Sun Conference play.

Taylor Cyphers and Sabrina Whiting led the Eagles with 14 points apiece, while Tara Fields chipped in 10 points and Kalah Martin contributed nine points in addition to a team-high eight assists.

After falling behind 9-0 to open the contest, the Eagles clawed their way back into the game and a 20-3 run put the Blue and Gold ahead 28-21 with just over six minutes left in the first half. Ave Maria answered with a run of its own and held a 35-34 lead at the half. The Lady Gyrenes stretched their advantage to 16 points (55-39) in the first six minutes of second frame and never looked back, pulling away for the win.

The Eagles' 67.2 points-per-game offense is led by Sabrina Whiting, who is averaging 11.9 points on the year.  Mercedes Jorge, who has sat out the last two games with an injury, is second on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg) and the team leader in rebounding (8.1 rpg), while Martin has taken over as the Eagles' assist leader, turning 3.4 assists to go with her 11.3 points per contest. Taylors Cyphers is the Eagles' block leader and ranks 17th nationally in blocks per game (2.0).

SCOUTING THE ROYALS
Warner women's basketball moved to 5-16 overall and 1-11 in conference play following an 80-67 loss to Thomas on Thursday. Head Coach John Dunlap's Lady Royals are averaging 57.3 points per game, while giving up 61.8 points per contest to their opponents. Marie Fleurival is WU's leading scorer (10.6 ppg), and leads the Lady Royals on the boards (6.6 rpg).

THE ERAU-WU SERIES
The Eagles and the Royals are meeting for the second time, exactly one month after the first-ever contest between the two schools in women's basketball. Warner bested the Eagles 64-58 on Jan. 7.

The Last Meeting
The Eagles shot nearly 50-percent from the floor, but 13 missed free throws and 28 turnovers cost the Blue and Gold as ERAU fell to Warner 64-58 on Jan. 7. Kalah Martin led all players with 17 points and added a game-high five assists, while Taylor Cyphers chipped in 15 points and Mercedes Jorge contributed 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.

Neither team got off to a good start shooting the ball, as Warner clung to a 6-5 lead with more than five minutes elapsed in the first half. Cyphers knocked down a pair of free throws on back-to-back possessions to push the Eagles ahead by three, 16-13, with 11:21 left in the half.

A 7-0 run gave WU a 20-16 lead, but ERAU closed out the first half on a 7-0 run of its own to take 30-29 lead at the break.

ERAU took an eight-point lead early in the half, but went without a field goal for seven minutes, during which time Warner went on a 16-2 run to jump out to a 49-43 lead with 10 minutes remaining.

A pair of Martin threes gave ERAU the lead once again (53-51), but WU regained the advantage, going up  55-54 with 5:02 remaining.

The Eagles battled back to within a point and after a defensive stop, they had a chance to take the lead but turned it over with just under a minute left. On the ensuing possession, Baylie Bridges hit a three to make it 62-58, after which the Blue and Gold turned it over again, all but ending any hopes of a comeback.

AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
The Embry-Riddle women's basketball team is ranked in NAIA II's top 25 in:
No. 5 in 3-Pt Fg Pct Defense (0.251)
No. 6 in Total Rebound Margin (10.286)
No. 8 in Field Goal Pct Defense (0.334)
No. 9 in Total Rebounds per Game (46.048)
No. 12 in Offensive Rebounds per Game (15.905)
No. 18 in Scoring Defense per Game (58.714)
No. 17 in Defensive Rebounds per Game (30.143)
No. 22 in Blocks per Game (4.048)
No. 24 in Total Rebound Defense (35.762)