DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Embry-Riddle freshman Nikki Tucker drained a three-pointer with four seconds remaining in regulation to lift the Embry-Riddle women's basketball team to 58-56 win over Lynn in Sunshine State Conference play on Saturday at the ICI Center. Tucker had a solid all-around performance on Saturday with 11 points, eight boards and five assists to help the Blue and Gold to their program-best 18^th win of the season.
 
The Eagles got off to a strong start, outscoring the Fighting Knights 19-5 in the first 10 minutes. However, the home team's shooting, which was a respectable 47.1 percent (8-of-17) in the first quarter, cooled drastically to just 18.2 percent (2-of-11) in the second. That drop in offensive output allowed Lynn to cut into a 20-point deficit and at the half, the Eagle lead was 11 (28-17).
 
Coming out of the break, the Fighting Knights continued to steadily chip away at the lead and with 45 seconds left in the third, Christina Potts connected on a layup that made it a seven-point (45-38) game.
 
The start of the fourth quarter saw Lynn go on a 10-5 run to make it a two-point (50-48) game with 5:10 left in the contest. The Eagle advantage was still two points (52-50) when Mariah Penascino drew a foul and the Lynn senior went 2-for-2 from the free throw line to register the second tie of the game.
 
Following a timeout, Tara Fields found Tucker at the top of the circle and Tucker hit her second three of the night to put ERAU back up by three. Lynn called a timeout to advance the ball and the strategy paid off as Meagan Shapmann scored two to pull Lynn within one (55-54). The Eagles turned the ball over on their next possession and Janay Williams' layup gave the visitors their first lead since the first quarter, 56-55, with 14 seconds left to play.
 
It took the Eagles eight seconds to get the ball down the floor on their next possession, and when they did, Sigrid Sandstrom found Tucker outside the arc again and the Eagle freshman drilled her third trey of the night to put the home team back in front, 58-56.
 
The Fighting Knights called a timeout to advance the ball again, but the four seconds remaining were not enough for them to make another basket and the Eagles came away with the win.
 
"That was a great game," ERAU Head Coach Lisa Nuxol-Wilson said. "Credit to Lynn for a good job too. They are a tough team and they play hard.
 
"We had a great first quarter and hit some big shots and free throws down stretch in crunch time. But overall, we need to be more consistent from quarter to quarter and utilize the clock better. I'm proud of the team for doing what they needed to do down the stretch to get the W. "
 
Fields was the high scorer for the Blue and Gold with 16 points, five rebounds and two assists, while Lauren Ellenberger and Whiting added nine and eight points, respectively.
 
Jaylen Snipes tallied a game-high 17 points for the Fighting Knights who fall to 11-13 overall and 8-9 in SSC play with the loss.
 
Next up for the Eagles is another home game, this time against Eckerd at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.