SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle women's basketball team returned to the win column on Wednesday after notching a 71-65 over Saint Leo on the road. The Eagles were able to get their offense going after a tough shooting day on Saturday, and outscored the Lions 25-15 in the third quarter on the way to improving their overall record to 5-2.
 
"This was a good win for us," ERAU Head Coach Lisa Nuxol-Wilson said following Wednesday's win. "I'm proud of the girls for bouncing back after two tough non-conference losses. Any road win in the Sunshine State Conference is a good one! We veered away from our defensive game plan down the stretch and gave up some big baskets. We need to learn to stay with the plan when teams make their comebacks. Saint Leo is a tough team and they kept coming, so we will learn from those situations."
 
The Eagles had four players score in double figures, led by Sabrina Whiting who finished with 19 points, five rebounds and two steals. Tara Fields had 13 points, eight boards and two blocks, while Mercedes Jorge and Lauren Ellenberger each tallied 11 points and five rebounds.
 
After Laniere Coleman scored the first bucket of the game courtesy of a feed inside by Ellenberger, the Eagles were scoreless over the next three minutes, allowing the Lions to jump out to a 7-2 lead. At the 6:47 mark of the first quarter, Ellenberger found Coleman again and the senior's layup started an 11-4 run the gave the Eagles their first lead, 13-11, with the 3:28 left in the period.
 
The Blue and Gold bested the Lions 9-0 to close out the first 10 minutes of play and took a 17-11 lead into the second frame.
 
Both teams were even in the second quarter scoring 15 points apiece, making it a 32-26 game in favor of the Eagles at the half.
 
The Eagles opened the third quarter with four consecutive three-pointers – two by Whiting and a pair by Jorge - and that outburst helped ERAU open up a 16-point advantage. The Eagles shot 52.6 percent (10-for-19) from the field, including a 66.7 percent (4-for-6) clip from beyond the arc, and at the end of three full frames, ERAU led 57-41.
 
The Lions made things interesting in the fourth quarter. With 5:35 left in the contest, Whiting knocked down her fourth three-pointer of the game to make the score 62-47, but Ragen Dotson scored on a layup on the Lions' next possession and that basket keyed a 14-4 Lion run, punctuated by a Dotson three, that pulled SLU within five (66-61) with 2:10 left on the clock.
 
The Eagles, who managed only three field goals in the final 10 minutes of play, were able to get the job done at the charity stripe as Ellenberger knocked down five of the Eagles' last six free throws to seal the win.
 
Dotson finished with a game-high 20 points and Nikira Hooks contributed 16 points as the Lions fell to 2-3 on the year.
 
Embry-Riddle will be back on the road again on Saturday when they travel to the University of Tampa for a 2 p.m. tip against the Spartans.