Embry-Riddle and UC Merced went back and forth all night in the Activity Center, but the Eagles came out with a victory as they beat the Bobcats 71-68.

UC Merced scored first to start off the game, but Susie Reynoso (Escondido, Calif.) followed with a basket to tie the score right away for the Eagles.  ERAU led by as many as four points early as Micaela Hidalgo (Greeley, Colo.) made a layup to make the score 8-4 with 5:39 left in the first quarter.  After a Bobcat layup, Zakiirah King (Chandler, Ariz.) made a three point basket to make the score 11-6 Embry-Riddle.  UC Merced scored the next four points to get within a point, but Ella Schott (Cave Creek, Ariz.) made a layup and a free throw to bring the ERAU advantage back to four points.  At the end of the first quarter, the teams were tied at 14-14. 

Just like the first quarter, the second quarter was back and forth with neither team getting out to more than a four point advantage.  Liz Behan (St. Peters, Mo.) scored the first five points for the Eagles in the quarter as with 8:06 remaining in the half, ERAU led 19-16.  A Mehgan Strickler (Glendale, Ariz.) free throw put ERAU up by four points, but UC Merced came back with the next six points as they took their first lead of the quarter 22-20. At the half, the Eagles led 29-28.

Embry-Riddle ran their lead to eight points to start the third quarter as King made two baskets and Strickler made a three.  With 8:24 left in the quarter ERAU led 36-28 until UC Merced made two free throws to cut the Eagle lead back to six points.  Both teams played good defense as the next scoring change was with 5:28 remaining in the quarter.  The Bobcats scored five points in a row to make a it a two points game, but Behan made back to back layups to put ERAU back up by six points.  With 56 seconds left in the quarter Nicole Evenson (Bemidji, Minn.) made a three to put Embry-Riddle back up by seven, but once again Merced made a three of their own.  At the end of the third quarter, ERAU led 51-45. 

Much like the rest of the game, the fourth quarter was very back and forth.  Embry-Riddle held a 6 point lead when both teams went cold and didn't score for over two minutes.  With just 7:32 left in the game, Merced made a layup to bring the score within four points at 53-49.  At the fourth quarter media timeout, ERAU led by one 57-56.  King made a layup with 3:33 left to put the Eagles back up by five points, but then the Bobcats made their own layup and the score was 61-58 with 3:12 left.  With 1:26 left in the game, UC Merced made two free throws to tie the game at 62-62.  Strickler sunk one free throw to give the Eagles a one point lead and on her miss, King got the rebound and found Aryana Gonzales (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) who sunk a three to give ERAU a four point lead with 58 seconds to go.  Embry-Riddle closed out the game as they won 71-68.

King and Strickler both had double-doubles for the Eagles.  King had 20 points and 12 rebounds while Strickler had 11 points and 16 rebounds. 

ERAU will play again next on Saturday against the Simpson University Red Hawks at 2pm in the Activity Center.