By Martin S. Hussey Jr., Correspondent
Image Credit: Hunter Hourany for Horizons
PRESCOTT, AZ – The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University women’s basketball team took on University of California, Merced, on Feb. 27 in the Activity Center. The game was a total flip-flop on who was leading, but at the end the Golden Bobcats ate the Eagles for dinner with a score of 64-57.
The Eagles’ roster was made up of starters Susie Reynoso, Zakiirah King, Mehgan Strickler, Hannah Urbano, and Sydney Mickulin and reserves Aryana Gonzales, Ella Schott, Michaela Hidalgo, Grace Meshanko, and Liz Behan. The Golden Bobcats’ roster consisted of starters Tiffany Nguyen, Aislyn Dora, Victoria Farris, Deyliana Lewis, and Damilola Sule and reserves Courtney Behn, Faith Mucheru, Nia Smiley, and Paloma Ramirez.
Before the start of the game, members of the audience could shoot half-court shots for the opportunity to win a Samsung Crystal UHD 50″ TV as well as a Snaptain SP7100 drone. While the game was going on, they could enjoy Buffalo Wings and other snacks and drinks provided by the Student Government Association and visit the desks of employers Boeing, as well as Raytheon Missiles and Defense. Anyone who handed them their resume earlier that day could get theirs back with comments and a recommendation to apply for a position that fits their background based on their resume.
During the first quarter, the Golden Bobcats led the Eagles 19-15. They made one three-point shot (Nguyen), five layups (Lewis, Sule, Dora), two jump shots (Ramirez), and two free throws (Nguyen). Meanwhile, the Eagles hit a three-pointer (King), three layups (Reynoso, Mickulin), and one jump shot (Urbano), but they missed five and four free throws (Mickulin, King). Each team committed two fouls.
The second quarter saw the Golden Bobcats continue their lead against the Eagles, although the gap was much narrower (33-31). In fact, the Eagles scored more than the Bobcats in this quarter, 16-14. They made one three-point shot (Schott), six layups (Strickler, Behan, Hidalgo), and one free throw (Meshanko). The Golden Bobcats made one three-point shot (Ramirez), one jump shot (Lewis), four layups (Lewis, Sule, Farris), and one free throw (Sule). There were seven fouls in the game, four by the Eagles and three by the Golden Bobcats.
While the Eagles were trailing by a slim margin, the gap widened (45-40). To their credit, they were able to tie the game (33-33) for two minutes and then take the lead for the next three minutes. They made one three-point shot (Schott), no layups (they missed all five), three jump shots (King, Urbano), with Urbano’s jump shot being made at the last second of the quarter, and no free throws. As for the Golden Bobcats, they made two three-point shots (Ramirez, Nguyen), no jump shots (they missed their two), three layups (Farris, Sule), and all three of their free throws. Just like the last quarter, there were seven fouls in the game, four by the Eagles and three by the Golden Bobcats.
Although the Eagles were able to catch up and even lead the game for the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, the Golden Bobcats were able to defeat them by a score of 64-57. The Eagles made zero three-point shots, five layups (Behan, Schott, Urbano, Reynoso), one jump shot (King), and five free throws (King, Reynoso). As for the Golden Bobcats, they also made zero three-point shots, one jump shot (Ramirez), four layups (Farris, Sule, Lewis), and nine free throws (Sule, Lewis, Ramirez). Unlike the previous three quarters, this time there were a lot of fouls. The Eagles did nine of them, and the Golden Bobcats did the other eight.
The next game of the Eagles will be against California State University Maritime Academy at their physical education center in Vallejo on Feb. 2.
