Box Score Embry-Riddle played a tough Montana Tech team in their second game of the Cactus Classic on Wednesday evening which marked their third game in three days and fell by a final score of 59-57.
In the first quarter, Embry-Riddle built an early lead as Aryana Gonzales (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) started the game with a three point shot and Susie Reynoso (Escondido, Calif.) followed that with one of her own. ERAU had a 9-1 lead after five minutes of game time. The Orediggers worked their way back into the game with a few layups, three point makes, and some tough pressure on the Eagles. At the end of the first quarter Montana Tech held a 17-16 lead.
Mehgan Strickler (Glendale, Ariz.) scored the first basket of the second quarter to give Embry-Riddle a brief lead but MT scored on their next possession to take the lead back. The teams traded three point makes and the Orediggers led 24-21 with 7:24 left in the half. Neither team scored again for two and a half minutes until Reynoso made a layup to get ERAU back within a point. Montana Tech led 35-28 at the half.
Embry-Riddle scored the first five points out of the halftime break as Micaela Hidalgo (Greeley, Colo.) made a layup and Zakiirah King (Chandler, Ariz.) added a three to cut the Oredigger lead to just two points. Montana Tech used their pressure and physical defense to create a few turnovers and extend their lead back out to five points. Embry-Riddle continued to battle through the pressure however and create turnovers of their own to hang tight with MT. At the end of the third quarter, the Montana Tech lead was still five at 47-42.
Both teams struggled to score to start the final ten minutes as four minutes into the quarter the score was 51 for the Orediggers and 45 for the Eagles. Montana Tech ran their lead to six and as ERAU worked towards the end of the game, they came within one point on a Gonzales layup with 33.4 seconds remaining. A shot at the buzzer went in and out for ERAU and they ultimately could not finish their comeback as they finished the Cactus Classic 1-1.
Embry-Riddle will take some time off for the holiday break and play again on January 4th as Cal Pac play resumes for the Eagles with Cal Maritime in Prescott.
