DAYTONA BEACH, Fla, -- The Embry-Riddle women's basketball team notched its 12th Sunshine State Conference win of the season by edging Eckerd (14-10, 9-8 SSC) 56-49 at the ICI Center on Wednesday. The Eagles, who completed the season sweep of the Tritons with the win, solidified their hold on the No. 3 spot in the SSC standings with a 12-5 league record and are 18-6 overall.
The Eagles scored well below their 72.0 points-per-game season average but the ERAU defense held the Tritons to their only sub-50-point performance this season.
Madyson Jean-Louis finished with 15 points and 11 boards, while
Mary Lengemann recorded her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 boards.
The Eagles opened the game on an 11-3 run to start the game and with 1:55 left in the first, they had a nine-point (16-7) advantage. The last five points of the quarter went to Eckerd, however, as a Lauryn Viera jumper and a Hannah Wentworth three cut the Eagle lead to four (16-12).
A low-scoring second period saw the Eagles total just eight points.
Mary Lengemann ended a nearly two-minute drought by both teams to start the quarter and neither side scored again until an Eckerd layup at the 5:42 mark. The Eagles were able to increase their lead to five, but another 2:46 scoreless drought ended with a Viera three that made it a two-point (24-22) game in favor of the home team at the half.
Coming out of the break, the Tritons used a 4-0 spurt to overtake the Eagles 30-26 and maintained a four-point margin for much of the third quarter. With 31 seconds left in the period,
Jenna Teterycz hit a three to reduce the deficit to one point (39-38) heading into the final frame.
The fourth quarter saw the Eagle defense limit the visitors to just 15 percent (3-of-20) from the field. While a 6-0 Eagle run to start the quarter gave them a 45-39 lead, the Tritons were able to rally again, tying the score at 45-45 with 3:28 left to play. After another scoreless stretch,
Chandler Brooks scored three on a layup and a free throw and Lengmann followed with a layup of her own to put the Eagles back up by five (50-45). Eckerd recorded two of their three makes from the field in the last 35 seconds, but the Eagles put the game away at the free throw line going 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in the closing seconds to seal the win.
The Eagles are back on the road on Saturday, traveling south to face Palm Beach Atlantic at 2 p.m.
The 2023-24 Embry-Riddle women's basketball season is presented by Daytona Mitsubishi.
