Despite leading for more than three quarters and holding a double-digit advantage at halftime, Embry-Riddle came up just short on Thursday evening, falling 53–52 at La Sierra in a tightly contested GSAC matchup.

The Eagles exploded out of the gate, building a 14–8 first-quarter lead behind early three-point shooting and strong defensive rebounding. Makenzie Alapai's opening-minute three set the tone, while Katie McBride and Jordyn Smith converted early paint touches to spark an 11–4 run. Embry-Riddle controlled the glass and forced seven La Sierra turnovers in the quarter.

The momentum grew in the second period as the Eagles played their best offensive stretch of the night, shooting 10–18 from the field and dropping 23 points in the frame. Abby Dean caught fire with 10 second-quarter points—including a pair of threes—to help the Eagles surge ahead. McBride added seven in the period as Embry-Riddle built a 37–22 halftime advantage, their largest lead of the night at +18.

La Sierra, however, responded after intermission. The Golden Eagles outscored Embry-Riddle 18–9 in the third, powered by interior scoring and free throws. McBride's steady presence at the line (going 5-of-6 in the quarter) kept ERAU afloat, but La Sierra trimmed the lead to six heading into the fourth.

 The fourth quarter turned into a defensive battle. Embry-Riddle struggled to find rhythm offensively, shooting 1–13 from the floor as La Sierra chipped away. Despite the offensive cold spell, the Eagles continued to grind, getting key stops and converting at the free-throw line to hold the lead into the final minute. A late jumper by Bella Barrett with 37 seconds remaining put ERAU back on top, 52–51.

But with 16 seconds left, La Sierra's Dana Cephas finished a layup inside—her 16th point of the game—giving the home team a one-point lead. Embry-Riddle had one final possession out of a timeout, but a potential game-winning three in the final seconds missed, sealing the narrow defeat.

McBride led the Eagles with 14 points and seven rebounds, delivering a highly efficient 4-of-6 shooting performance while going 6-of-7 at the line. Dean added 11 points, Barrett chipped in 8, and Kapomaika'i Nakakura provided 7 points and four assists off the bench. Embry-Riddle's depth remained a strength, with 31 bench points compared to La Sierra's 23.

Embry-Riddle will finish out their road trip against Hope International on Saturday afternoon.