Elgin, IL. - The Embry-Riddle women's basketball team opened the 2026-27 season in the win column Tuesday night, defeating Judson University, 64-51, at the Lindner Center. The Eagles led for more than 34 minutes and used a strong defensive effort and dominant bench production to earn their first victory of the season.
Embry-Riddle jumped out to a 20-14 lead after the opening quarter behind a big spark from the bench, then held Judson to just eight points in the second period to take a 35-22 advantage into halftime. The Eagles continued to control the game in the third quarter and pushed their lead to as many as 19 points before securing the 13-point victory.
The Eagle reserves provided a major boost throughout the night, outscoring Judson's bench 41-9. Embry-Riddle also controlled the glass with a 49-40 rebounding advantage and recorded 17 assists on 22 made field goals.
Morgan Mann led all Eagle scorers with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 mark from beyond the arc. Mann also added eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and helped pace an Embry-Riddle bench unit that carried the offensive load.
Bella Barrett added 11 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting night, while Pomai Nakakura chipped in eight points and Abby Dean scored seven. Angelina Whelan contributed six points and four rebounds, and Hannah Williams added four points off the bench.
On the boards, Riley Morris-Rexford recorded a game-high 10 rebounds, while Makenzie Alapai grabbed seven rebounds. The Eagles also forced 21 Judson turnovers and collected 10 steals in the season-opening win.
Embry-Riddle (1-0) shot 92.3 percent from the free-throw line and held Judson to 25.0 percent shooting from three-point range en route to the victory.
