by DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The second-ranked Embry-Riddle men’s basketball team overcame a six-point halftime deficit, outscoring 22nd-ranked Northwood by 16 points in the second half to come away with a 77-67 victory. With the win, ERAU improved to 20-1 and 8-1 in conference play while NU fell to 12-7, 5-4 in league games.
Dalton Barnes and Reed Ridder led the Eagles with 15 points each while DeForest Carter (Seminole Tribe of Florida) poured in 14 points and dished out a game-high nine assists. With his 14 points, Carter moved into a tie for ninth place with Tom Fagley on the all-time Embry-Riddle scoring list with 1,569 points. Joseph Gonzalez (13 points) and Cesar Pastrana (10 points) also reached double-figures in scoring.
Andrija Sarenac led all scorers with 17 points while Fred Mattison chipped in 13 points and Chris Solomon scored 12. Danny Nieman racked up a team-high seven assists and scored five points.
The Blue and Gold opened the game connecting on five of its first seven three-point attempts as ERAU ran out to a 15-8 lead in the first six minutes. Embry-Riddle then went cold from the field as Northwood went on an 8-0 run over a six-minute span to take its first lead of the game (16-15).
Carter made a pair of free throws with 8:32 on the clock to put the home team back in front, but the lead was short-lived as Northwood retook the lead on a Marcus Hardy layup a few seconds later.
With just under six minutes to play in the half, Jason Powell drilled a trey to push Embry-Riddle back in front, 23-20. The Eagles maintained the advantage for the next four minutes before the Seahawks ended the half on an 8-0 spurt to take a 34-28 lead into the locker room.
Northwood maintained its lead for the first 8:53 of the second half until a Gonzalez slam dunk put ERAU ahead, 58-57. The teams then traded one-point leads three times before Barnes made a layup that gave Embry-Riddle a 63-61 lead with just under eight minutes to play.
The Seahawks were able to draw even at 65-65 with 5:34 left in the game, but the Eagles dominated the closing minutes, finishing the contest on a 12-2 run. The Embry-Riddle defense was stifling over the final five-and-a-half minutes, forcing five missed shots and a pair of turnovers; the only points Northwood scored during the closing stretch were on a jumper with 23 seconds left, long after the outcome had been decided.
The Eagles return to the court on Saturday, Jan. 31 when they travel to Miami Shores for a doubleheader against Florida Memorial. Both games will be played at Barry University’s Health & Sports Center, with the women tipping off at 5 p.m. and the men’s game scheduled for 7 p.m.
