LAKELAND, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle women's basketball team scored 22 points in the fourth quarter to take a come-from-behind 64-62 win against Florida Southern (5-2, 0-2 SSC) in the Eagles' Sunshine State Conference opener on Saturday. The Eagles erased a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to improve to 6-1 overall and 1-0 in league play.
Madyson Jean-Louis, who scored the game-winning bucket, led all players with 18 points to go with two steals and two assists.
Keturah Balabyekkubo added 15 points, six boards and two steals, while
Jenna Teterycz was 5-of-8 from the field for an 11-point finish.
The Eagles scored on their first two shot attempts and went up by three (7-4), but they went through a nearly four-minute scoring drought that allowed the Lady Mocs to take over the lead (13-9). Balabyekkubo ended the drought with a layup and both sides traded baskets in the final 1:33 resulting in 15-15 tie at the end of the first.
The start of the second quarter saw the Eagles open a six-point advantage (21-15), but once again, an offensive slump allowed the home team to close the gap. After the Lady Mocs recorded the seventh tie of the game, the Eagles scored four unanswered and led 27-25 at the half.
The third period saw Florida Southern use a 55.6 percent (10-of-18) shooting clip to outscore the Eagles 23-15 and take a six-point (48-42) lead into the final frame.
A pair of free throws and a three allowed the Lady Mocs to widen the gap to 53-44 early in the fourth.
Kailey Turpening drilled her first three of the night to make it a six-point game, and less than two minutes later, she knocked down her second long-range shot to pull the Eagles within three (56-53). The Eagle run prompted a timeout by FSC, but the brief stoppage in play didn't slow the Eagles down as they forced a turnover and got the ball out to Balabyekkubo whose second trey of the game tied the score at 56-56.
The teams were still level after a Lady Moc three-pointer tied the score at 62-62 with 17 seconds left to play. ERAU Head Coach
Lisa Wilson immediately called a timeout and the play she drew up in the huddle was executed to perfection as Jean-Louis drove to the basket for a layup to put the Eagles up 64-62. The Lady Mocs called a timeout of their own with five seconds left, but the three-point attempt that resulted was well-defended by Jean-Louis and was short of the mark. The Eagles held on to the rebound to secure the win.
The Eagles return to the ICI Center at 5 p.m. on Dec. 8 to host Florida Tech in another SSC contest.
The 2023-24 Embry-Riddle women's basketball season is presented by Daytona Mitsubishi.
