Embry-Riddle mounted a spirited second-half comeback, outscoring Park-Gilbert 39–38 over the final three quarters, but an early deficit proved too steep to overcome in a 70–62 road loss on Thursday evening at Arizona Athletic Grounds.
Embry-Riddle struggled to settle in offensively during the opening 10 minutes, shooting just 12.5% (2–16) from the floor as Park-Gilbert jumped out to an 18–11 lead. The Eagles quickly responded with a much sharper second quarter—led by
Makenzie Alapai and
Nicole Evenson—cutting the gap to 32–23 at halftime. Alapai went a perfect 2-for-2 in the period, and Evenson knocked down her first of three triples on the night.
The Eagles' comeback charge hit full speed in the third quarter. ERAU shot an efficient 50% from the floor, including 3–5 from deep, backed by:
Embry-Riddle pulled within single digits multiple times and trailed 52–41 entering the fourth.
The Eagles kept chipping away. Katie McBride dominated inside, scoring 9 of her team-high 11 points in the quarter while also collecting rebounds on both ends. ERAU got contributions across the lineup:
- Alapai added 4 more points to finish with a team-high 15.
- Jordyn Smith remained steady at the line, going 5–6 FT to total 7 points with 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
- Kapomaika'i Nakakura delivered key energy minutes off the bench, scoring 6 points and hitting a big three in the first quarter.
ERAU outscored Park-Gilbert 21–18 in the final frame, but the Buccaneers repeatedly answered with timely baskets—particularly from Jelissa Julmist, who finished with a game-high 17 points—allowing Park-Gilbert to maintain a two-possession lead through the closing minutes.
The Eagles will be back in Phoenix on Saturday as they play at Arizona Christian with the game scheduled to start at 12pm.
