DAYTONA BEACH (Interstat) — Jareah Branch scored 26 points and Embry-Riddle (Fla.) pulled away from Southeastern (Fla.) for a 71-51 women’s basketball victory Tuesday at the ICI Center. Embry-Riddle, nicknamed the Eagles, improved to 1-0 in a non-divisional game played before an announced attendance of 285.

Embry-Riddle scored 71 points from 76 possessions, an offensive rating of 93.9. The Eagles finished with 18 offensive rebounds, nine assists, five blocks and 14 turnovers while scoring 52 points in the paint and 20 points off turnovers. Southeastern scored 10 points off turnovers and had 24 points in the paint.

Southeastern stayed close early. Eliana Sheplee opened the scoring with a jump shot for Embry-Riddle, and Signe Nordvik followed with a hook shot before Chloe Collin made consecutive layups to tie the game at 4. Anye’ Staton made a free throw, Branch made two layups and a jump shot, and Ava Boyes and Florrie Cotterill later added jumpers for the Eagles. Southeastern answered with layups from Eva Bishop and Collin, two free throws from Alley Haas and a 3-pointer from Rylie Homan to keep the deficit small after the first quarter.

Embry-Riddle built a double-digit cushion in the second quarter. Sofi Miller made a layup for Southeastern, but Sheplee converted a tip-in layup and Bianca Negreiros made two layups around a 3-pointer from Sarah Davis. Branch added a layup and free throws, Negreiros hit a 3-point jump shot, and Sheplee made a layup and two free throws. Kyra Haan made a layup, Staton added a layup, and Ava Boyes made a jump shot as the Eagles took a comfortable lead into halftime.

The Eagles maintained their advantage after halftime. Staton made two layups early in the third quarter, and Sheplee added a layup and a free throw. Alyssa Brasko made a jump shot, Cotterill made a jump shot, and Branch closed the quarter with a layup. Southeastern received a layup from Grace Pitzer, two layups from Sofi Miller, a layup from Eva Bishop, two free throws from Pitzer, and a layup from Sarah Davis.

Branch then took over in the fourth. She made layups and jump shots throughout the period, scoring 12 of her 26 points while repeatedly answering Southeastern’s baskets. Mafalda Chambel made a layup and two free throws for Southeastern, Anna Tinelli made a 3-pointer, and Chloe Collin added a jump shot and two free throws. Danika Ballard made a layup and a jump shot for the Eagles, and Kyra Haan made a layup and a free throw.

Branch finished with 26 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 27 minutes. Eliana Sheplee had 12 points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes. Anye’ Staton had seven points, seven rebounds, five assists and one block in 18 minutes. Bianca Negreiros had seven points and three assists in 21 minutes. Ava Boyes had two points, three rebounds and two blocks in 11 minutes. Signe Nordvik had two points and seven rebounds in 14 minutes. Danika Ballard had four points, one rebound and one assist in 23 minutes. Florrie Cotterill had two points and two assists in eight minutes. Kyra Haan had five points, two rebounds and one assist in 10 minutes. Alyssa Brasko had two points and two rebounds in 12 minutes.

No betting line, point spread, over-under or game-simulator projection was available. Embry-Riddle will visit Edward Waters next. The Eagles will visit Flagler. They will host Eckerd. They will host Belmont Abbey. They will host Valdosta State. They will visit Palm Beach Atlantic. They will host Barry. They will host Nova Southeastern. They will host Bentley. They will visit Rollins.