DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Led by
Lauren Ellenberger (19 points, seven assists, five rebounds) and
Sabrina Whiting (17 points, seven rebounds), the Embry-Riddle women's basketball team knocked off visiting Florida Southern on Wednesday evening to improve to 12-4 overall and 9-1 against Sunshine State Conference opponents. The Mocs fell to 12-5 on the season with the loss.
Along with Ellenberger and Whiting,
Laniere Coleman (12 points) and
Tara Fields (10 points, five rebounds) also reached double-figures in scoring.
"This was definitely a team win and it started with our preparation in practice this week," Head Coach Lisa Nuxol-Wilson said after the win. "Our commitment to each other is making a difference in games! The girls were very coachable tonight and I'm very proud of the effort on the defensive end, holding them to 54 points."
The Blue and Gold got off to a great start, using a 15-2 run in the first quarter to run out to a 17-6 lead after the first 10 minutes of play.
FSC rallied quickly in the second quarter, opening the period on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to just two points (17-15). But the Eagles were able to stop the momentum and maintain the lead throughout the rest of the quarter, taking a 27-23 lead into halftime after an Ellenberger triple closed out the period.
The Mocs scored the first five points of the second half to take the lead, 28-27. Whiting drilled a three to put ERAU back in front, 30-28, and the Eagles stayed in front for the rest of the frame, carrying a 48-44 lead into the final quarter.
After slow starts in the second and third quarters, Embry-Riddle reversed the trend in the fourth, pushing its lead to 10 points (55-45) thanks to a 7-1 run to open the period. The Eagles played tough defense in the final quarter, holding FSC to just three field goals and 10 points as the Blue and Gold pulled away for a 65-54 win.
"The first half of conference play is over now and we have to keep improving and focusing on our growth as a program as we continue to prepare for next year," Nuxol-Wilson said. "I love coaching these girls on a daily basis and I'm really proud of our progress."
The Eagles are back at home on Saturday, Jan. 21 when they host Saint Leo at 5 p.m. as part of another doubleheader with the men's team.
