DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle women's basketball team overcame an early deficit to top Florida Tech 75-73 on the road, Saturday at the Panther's Clemente Center. The Eagles completed the season sweep of the Panthers to improve to 15-4 overall and 9-3 in Sunshine State Conference play.
Mary Lengemann and
Madyson Jean-Louis led the Eagles with 17 points apiece, which was a game-high, as well as a career-high for Lengemann who was 6-of-9 from the field and 5-for-6 from the free throw line.
Kyra Haan (14 pts) and
Jenna Teterycz (12 pts) also scored in double figures, while
Kailey Turpening led the team with seven assists and
Laurie Satchell pulled down a team-best eight rebounds.
The Panthers jumped out to a 17-6 lead in the first quarter and behind a 10-of-20 shooting clip, Florida Tech owned an eight-point (23-15) advantage heading into the second.
Turpening fed Teterycz for a three to start the second quarter, then recorded a steal and knocked down a jumper herself to cap a 5-0 run that closed the gap to three (23-20). That was as close as the Eagles would get in the frame as the Panthers built the lead back up to six before ending the half up 34-30.
Teterycz opened the third the same way she did the second, with a three-pointer. But the Panthers answered with a series of threes of their own and with 5:04 left in the quarter, the home team led 45-39. At the 4:15 mark, Satchell scored two of her five points and that bucket keyed an 11-2 run that gave the Eagles their first lead (48-47) of the game. The Panthers managed to briefly halt the Eagle run with a layup but Embry-Riddle held Florida Tech scoreless in the last 1:28 and carried a 54-49 advantage into the fourth.
The fourth quarter featured several tense moments for fans of both teams. The Eagles held the lead until a Kyandra Poitier basket at the 7:24 mark tied the lead, 57-57. At that point, Jean-Louis took over the offense. The junior scored a layup and made three free throws in a row to give the Eagles a 62-59 cushion. The Panthers tied the score again (62-62), but another Jean-Louis three-point play and four points from Teterycz helped the Blue and Gold to a six-point (71-65) lead with 1:39 left on the clock.
Ove the next minute, the Panthers outscored the Eagles 5-0 to make it a one-point game (71-70) with 24 seconds showing on the clock and the Eagles in possession of the basketball. The Panthers made an attempt to steal the ball from Jean-Louis, but she held on to the ball and the Eagles eventually got it to Turpening who was fouled with 11 seconds left. Turpening, who was 4-for-4 from the charity stripe in the fourth, made both free throws, as did Haan, to make it a four-point lead (75-71) with nine seconds left.
The Panthers ran the length of the floor and made a layup with two seconds left, but it was enough to catch the Eagles who ran out the clock to seal the win.
Tai Roberts paced the Panthers with 17 points and 11 boards, as Florida Tech falls to 6-17 overall and 1-11 in league play.
The Eagles are back at the ICI Center on Wednesday to host Florida Southern at 5:30 p.m.
The 2023-24 Embry-Riddle women's basketball season is presented by Daytona Mitsubishi.
