Embry-Riddle dropped a 72–57 decision to College of Idaho inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. The Eagles fought through early shooting struggles and a 22-point second-half deficit to close strong, but the Yotes held firm behind balanced scoring and a dominant rebounding effort.
Slow Start Proves Costly
Embry-Riddle opened the game with a quick bucket from Katie McBride to take a 2–0 lead, but that would be the Eagles' only advantage of the night. College of Idaho responded with a 10–2 run and never looked back, building a 19–11 lead after the first quarter and stretching it to 39–20 by halftime. The Eagles shot just 20% in the second period and went 1-for-7 from beyond the arc as the Yotes capitalized on turnovers and second-chance opportunities.
Second-Half Surge
Despite the deficit, the Eagles showed resilience after the break. Abby Dean sparked the offense in the third quarter with eight points, including a pair of three-pointers, as Embry-Riddle outscored the Yotes 18–16 in the frame. The momentum carried into the fourth, where Jordyn Smith and Morgan Mann combined for 16 points to trim the gap to 10 with under four minutes to play. Smith finished with a team-high 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, while Mann added eight off the bench.
By the Numbers
- Top Scorers: Smith (10), Dean (8), Mann (8), Morgan Evenson (10)
- Rebounds: Makenzie Alapai led the Eagles with six boards; team totaled 36 rebounds.
- Bench Impact: Embry-Riddle's reserves contributed 27 points, highlighted by Mann's perfect 3-for-3 shooting.
- Team Shooting: 33.8% from the field, 22.2% from three, and 81.8% at the line.
College of Idaho countered with four players in double figures, led by Taryn Riley's 15 points and Maiya Hardy's 14-point, 16-rebound double-double. The Yotes dominated the glass 46–36 and converted 17-of-21 free throws to seal the win.
ERAU will play one more game on the trip, finishing it at 5pm on Saturday evening against Eastern Oregon University.
