BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle women's basketball team closed out its Sunshine State Conference on a high note against Lynn on Saturday. Lynn's Senior night did not go as the Fighting Knights would have hoped as the Eagles left the de Hoernle Center with 73-68 road win. The Eagles improved to 7-19 on the year and will close out the 2015-16 campaign at a tournament in Puerto Rico, March 3-5.
 
Coming off a career-high performance against Barry where she score 29 points, Mercedes Jorge led the Eagles' offense once again, scoring 20 points to go with 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season. Sabrina Whiting added 17 points, while Taylor Cyphers added eight points and seven boards, and Tara Fields came off the bench to chip in nine points.
 
"This was a great road win for us, especially against their six seniors on senior night." ERAU Head Coach Lisa Nuxol-Wilson said. "With this being our last Sunshine State game of the season, I was really proud of how we have improved in so many areas during the second year of our young program.  We have loved coaching these young ladies and they are going to continue to grow each year." 
 
Whiting opened the game with a three-pointer and that basket was indicative of how the quarter would go as the Eagles shot a blistering 71.4 percent (10-of-14) from the field in the first 10 minutes of play. The Eagles led for the first 2:30, but Lynn took over the lead and held it for the next two minutes until Whiting hit another long range shot to put the Eagles back in front, 14-13.
 
Nina Guillaume's layup gave the lead back to the Fighting Knights but the advantage was short-lived as the Eagles closed out the quarter on a 13-0 run to lead 26-15 heading into the second quarter.
 
The Fighting Knights outscored the Eagles 14-11 in the second quarter, but the 11-point cushion the Eagles were able to build in the first period helped the visitors go into the locker room leading 37-29 at the half.
 
Coming out of the break, Lauren Ellenberger's jumper made it a 10-point (39-29) game, but over the next three minutes, the Fighting Knights scored eight unanswered points to close the gap to two points (42-40) with 5:38 left in the third. 
 
The margin was still just two points for the Eagles when Rachel Briere went to the free throw line at the 3:45 mark. The freshman knocked down the first shot and missed the second, but Jorge was on hand for the rebound and the put-back and that play keyed a 16-6 run that gave the Eagles a 61-51 lead heading into the final period.
 
The Eagles were able to maintain a double-digit advantage for much of the fourth quarter, but the Fighting Knights continued to battle and Tiffani Kerrison's three-point play at the 2:42 mark made it a four-point (65-61) game. That was as close as Lynn would get, however, as the Eagles got the job done at the charity stripe, connecting on five of their last six free throws to seal the win.