MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – A career performance by Cellexia Foster helped the Embry-Riddle women's basketball team notch a Sunshine State Conference win on the road on Wednesday, as the Eagles bested Barry (7-14, 5-9 SSC) 74-65 at the Buccaneers' Health and Sports Center. The win, which completed the season sweep of Barry, strengthened the Eagles' hold on fifth place in the SSC with an 8-6 league record and improved ERAU's overall ledger to 13-8.
 
"We are so proud of the team for doing what they needed to do to get this road win," ERAU Head Coach Lisa Nuxol-Wilson said of a depleted ERAU squad that had only eight players available on Wednesday. "We've had a lot of adversity with all the sickness this week and tonight, but they pulled together and played hard. They made the adjustments they needed to at the half and stepped up. We're looking forward to having a fully healthy team again so we can get after it in practice and prepare for our next opponent."
 
Foster tallied 13 points in the second half on the way to a career-best 17 points. Nikki Tucker led the Eagles with 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Sarah Jones and Sigrid Sandstrom chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively. Lauren Ellenberger pulled down a game-high nine boards to go with seven points, and Jones and Sandstrom grabbed seven rebounds apiece.
 
The Eagles struggled to take care of the basketball at the start of the contest, registering eight turnovers in the first 10 minutes of action. ERAU reduced the number of miscues to just two in the second quarter but could not get anything going offensively. What was a three-point (17-14) edge for Barry at the end of the first swelled to 10 points (38-28) at the half, as the Eagles were just 5-of-20 from the field in the second frame.
 
With 5:39 left in the third and the Eagles still trailing by 10 (45-35), Morgan Ackermann converted on both of her attempts from the charity stripe. Those free throws keyed a 13-3 run that tied the game at 48-48 with 2:39 remaining in the third. On the next Buccaneer possession, Harriet Swindells scored three of her game-high 19 points to put the home team back up by three (51-48), but the lead was short-lived as Ackermann countered with a three of her own and Foster drilled back-to-back treys to give the Eagles a 57-53 lead heading into the final period.
 
The first half of the fourth quarter saw the Blue and Gold use a 13-5 run to open up a 12-point advantage. However, Foster's layup at the 4:13 mark was the last field goal the Eagles would make in the contest. Barry was able to cut the lead to seven (70-63) on a layup with 3:23 remaining, but then their offense also went cold and while a pair of free throws made it a five-point (70-65) game with 1:46 left to play, they were unable to further close the gap as the Eagles sealed with win with two free throws each by Tucker and Sandstrom.
 
The Eagles return to the ICI Center on Saturday to face league leader Florida Southern. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.