SAINT LEO, Fla. –
Madyson Jean-Louis scored a career-high 22 points to lead the Embry-Riddle women's basketball team to a 77-66 road win over Saint Leo (11-11, 4-10) in Sunshine State Conference play on Saturday afternoon. The win snapped a five-game skid for the Eagles and improved their record to 9-12 overall and 4-11 in the SSC.
Jean-Louis led all players in scoring and was one of four Eagle players in double digits.
Rachel Murray finished with 14 points, while
Keturah Balabyekkubo tallied 11 points and seven rebounds and
Kelli Thomas scored a season-high 10 points to go with five boards. Jean-Louis (5-for-5) and Balabyekkubo (4-for-4) were perfect from the charity stripe as the Eagles amassed as season-high 19 free throws as a team.
Saint Leo controlled the offense early in the contest. The Lions scored the first four points of the game and used a 12-2 run midway through the first quarter to open a 10-point (19-9) lead. The Eagles got nine points from Jean-Louis in the first 10 minutes, but the Lions' defense was able to neutralize the other Eagle players on the court and led 22-15 heading into the second quarter.
The Eagles had a more balanced offensive effort in the second period with six players getting into the scoring column. Shooting 7-of-11 from the field, Embry-Riddle outscored Saint Leo 15-11 in the quarter and narrowed the gap to three points (33-30) at the half.
Third-quarter scoring started with a Balabyekkubo trey that tied the score at 33-33. That bucket marked the start of a 6-0 run that put the Eagles up by six (39-33). The Lions closed the gap, but the Eagles held on to the lead until the 3:54 mark when an Alex Button three reclaimed a two-point (45-43) advantage for the Lions. Saint Leo extended its cushion to seven (54-47), but ERAU cut into lead and after both teams totaled 23 points each in the third, the Lion advantage was still three (56-54) with 10 minutes remaining in the contest.
The difference in the fourth quarter came at the free throw line where the Eagles, who did not have a single free throw attempt in the first half, were 14-of-17 from the charity stripe. The first three of the period went to Saint Leo's Kiki McIntyre who increased the Lions lead to six (59-53) with that basket. The Eagles steadily chipped away and with 3:29 left, Jean-Louis knocked down two free throws to give the Blue and Gold its first lead of the frame (61-60).
From that point, the Eagles did not look back. The Eagle defense, which bested the Lions 9-3 on the defensive boards and drew two crucial charges late in the game, held the Lions just 2-of-11 shooting from the field to help secure the 11-point victory.
The Eagles are back at the ICI Center on Wednesday to host Palm Beach Atlantic in a Play 4 Kay game supporting the fight against cancer. The game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
The 2022-23 Embry-Riddle women's basketball season is presented by Daytona Mitsubishi.
