DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle women's basketball team returned to the win column on Saturday with a 67-58 win over Tampa at the ICI Center. The win snapped a three-game losing skid for the Eagles and improved their record to 7-4 overall and 2-2 in Sunshine State Conference play.
 
"We are happy to get a win like that after a long break," ERAU Head Coach Lisa Nuxol-Wilson said. "Most of the team did a good job staying in shape during the break, which helped. We have been really focused on our defense and I thought we did a better job tonight. Also, all 12 players have improved in their level of intensity in practice, but we need to continue to be more consistent with that and push each other."
 
Lauren Ellenberger led the way for the Blue and Gold with a season-high 19 points, seven boards, five assists and two steals. Three other Eagle players scored in double figures with Sarah Jones tallying 12 points, and Morgan Ackermann and Sigrid Sandstrom adding 11 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Tampa scored the first points of the contest and led 4-2 at the 8:45 mark of the first quarter, but that would be their final lead of the contest. The Eagles score five unanswered to overtake the visitors and after both teams went back and forth, Ellenberger's three broke a 13-13 tie to give the home team a three-point advantage, which they maintained at the end of the period (21-18).
 
A stout Eagle defense in the second period held Nagy scoreless and forced eight Tampa turnovers. Twelve of the Eagles' 14 second-quarter points came from those Spartan miscues and at the half, the Eagle lead had grown to eight (35-27).
 
The Spartans' offense came alive in the third, as they shot 58.6 percent (7-of-12) from the field and outscored ERAU 14-11 to cut the Eagle lead to 46-41.
 
At the start of the fourth quarter, Staja Tyghter made one of two free throws to make it a four-point game (46-42). The Eagles' next trip down the court saw Nikki Tucker find Ackermann on the wing and the senior's third trey of the game sparked a 13-4 run that widened the gap to 13 (59-46) in favor of the Eagles. Both teams made six field goals in the final frame, but it was the Eagles' 4-for-8 performance from long range that helped the Blue and Gold stave off a late rally and come away with the nine-point win.
 
Nagy matched Ellenberger's scoring output with 19 points as the Spartans moved to 8-4 overall and 2-2 in league play.
 
The Eagles are back in action at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday when they host Barry at the ICI Center.