CHICAGO, Ill. -- No. 6 Embry-Riddle University hit 15 three-pointers and had six players score in double-figures as they recorded a decisive 94-78 victory against No. 30 Cardinal Stritch in the first round of the Robert Morris (Ill.) College Holiday Tournament held on the campus of Loyola (Ill.) College's Gentile Center.
The Eagles jumped out to a commanding 18-point halftime advantage 50-32 on the hot shooting from downtown converting 10-of-15 from beyond the arc (66.7 percent) led by sophomore guard
Denver Cobb who was 5-of-7 from long range.
Ryan Exter hit 2-of-4,
Drew Whitaker was 2-for-3 and
Denny Joseph hit his only opportunity.
Embry-Riddle led by just six points at 37-31 with 3:45 to go in the half, but went on an 13-1 run behind the three-point shooting assault with a pair from Whitaker and Cobb. Cobb's final three of the half, was perfectly orchestrated as the Eagles were patient as the shot clock was winding down and
William Benjamin kicked the ball out to
Ryan Ridder at the top of the arc and then Ridder made the extra pass to a wide open Cobb in the left corner and he drained it as the shot clock expired with four ticks left in the half.
Ridder directed the offense to perfection in the first half with seven assists and no turnovers in 17 minutes of play and finished the night with a career-high 11 assists. Cobb led six Eagles in double-figures with 19 points, Joseph added 16 off the bench, Exter posted 13 and
Tyler DeBord,
Nick Miller and Whitaker all finished with 11 points apiece.
Cardinal Stritch trimmed the Eagle lead to 13 points two minutes into the second half on the scoring tandem of Marquelle Joyner and Trey Triplett with four points apiece, but the Blue and Gold went on a 21-8 run over the next four and a half minutes to push the lead to 26 at 74-48 with 13:27 to go in the contest.
The Eagles' advantage remained in the 20-point margin until the four-minute mark when wholesale substitutions for both teams saw the game get a little sloppy and Cardinal Stritch got the better of it down the stretch closing the gap to 16 points with the 94-68 final score.
Joyner led the way for the Wolves with 19 points, while Triplett added 18 and Chad Dekker finished with 14.
The Eagles will face NAIA Division I No. 1-ranked Robert Morris (Ill.) in the championship game of the Holiday Tournament on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (CST).
