DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The third-seeded Embry-Riddle women's basketball team earned a spot in the semifinal round of the 2024 Sunshine State Conference women's basketball tournament on Tuesday, courtesy of a 59-52 defeat of the No. 6 Lynn (14-15) at the ICI Center. Tuesday's victory marked the second 20-win season in the Eagles' nine-year history as they improved to 20-8 on the year.
Madyson Jean-Louis headlined the Eagles' performance as her game-high 18 points helped her become the fifth member of Embry-Riddle's 1,000-point club.
Jenna Teterycz had a solid all-around performance tallying 11 points and eight boards.
Trinity Mocadlo's three to open the game was one of six field goals made by the Fighting Knights in the first quarter. Lynn shot 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from the field in the first 10 minutes and while the Eagles only managed three makes from the field, they bested Lynn 3-0 in free throws to stay within striking distance (14-10) at the end of the first.
The Fighting Knights extended their lead to seven points courtesy of another period-opening three, but Teterycz answered immediately with a three of her own and scored two of the Eagles' next three buckets to tie the score at 19-19 at the 5:24 mark. Two minutes later
Kailey Turpening drilled another trey to give the Eagles their first lead of the night and
Mary Lengemann dispossessed Danielle Montelbano at half court and raced to the basket for an uncontested layup to put the Eagles up 26-22 at the half.
Four unanswered points helped the Eagles widen the gap to eight points (30-22) to start the third. Lynn bounced back, however, and Marianna Klavina capped a 14-6 run that tied the score at 36-36 with 2:36 left in the quarter. The next basket went to Jean-Louis and the junior's only three-pointer of the game with 13 seconds left pushed her over the 1,000-point mark and gave the Blue and Gold a 41-36 lead heading into the final frame.
The fourth quarter got off to a slow start with neither team scoring in the first three minutes.
Chandler Brooks ended the scoring drought with a pair of free throws at the 6:44 mark and Lynn followed suit with a pair of free throws of their own, but
Alyssa Brasko's jumper with 5:46 left was the first field goal of the period. Brasko's basket extended the Eagle lead to seven points (47-40), but Mocadlo scored five points in a row to narrow the gap to two (47-45) with 3:56 remaining.
That was a close as the Fighting Knights would get, however, as Embry-Riddle ended the game on a 12-5 run to secure the win and a spot in the SSC semifinals for only the second time in program history.
The Eagles' semifinal opponent will be second-seeded Tampa. The Spartans downed Palm Beach Atlantic 71-64 in their quarterfinal game and will host the Eagles at the Bob Martinez Center at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
The 2023-24 Embry-RIddle women's basketball season is presented by Daytona Mitsubishi
