BABSON PARK, Fla. ? The Embry-Riddle men's basketball team fought off a late surge by Webber International to top the Warriors 76-72 in Florida Sun Conference play on Wednesday. The Eagles held a 20-point lead at the half, but had to fight off a spirited Warrior comeback in the second to improve to 23-4 overall and 8-3 in the FSC. Webber International is now 10-17 on the year and 4-7 in league play.
Embry-Riddle scored the first bucket of the game and never trailed. A layup by DeBord at the 9:05 mark sparked a 12-4 run to give the Eagles a 14-point advantage. The Warriors cut the lead to 12 but were outscored 10-2 in the last 5:47 making the score 42-22 at intermission.
The Eagles shot the ball well in the first half, connecting on 62.7 percent of their attempts with most of their points coming in the paint. Tyler DeBord and Eric Lorenzi led the way for the Blue and Gold, tallying 14 points apiece before halftime. Lorenzi was 5-of-6 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, accounting for the Eagles' only two three-point baskets of the half.
The Eagles were plagued by poor shooting from the field and the charity stripe, managing only seven field goals and 17-of-29 free throws in the second frame. Those numbers, coupled with a tenacious Warrior defense that forced 11 second-half turnovers, allowed Webber International to erase the deficit.
A William Benjamin jumper at the 15:05 mark extended the Eagle margin to 23 points and the Eagles seemed poised to cruise to an easy win. But the Warriors had other ideas and a Jermaine Miller jumper sparked a 19-2 run over the next seven minutes that cut the lead to just six points.
ERAU built the lead back up to as many as 10 points, but solid free three shooting by the Warriors, who were 17-for-18 from the charity stripe in the second half, brought the home team to within three points with 26 seconds left in the game.
The Warriors changed their strategy to clock management and began to foul the Eagles on their remaining possessions, hoping that the Eagles' struggles from the free throw line would continue. But senior Ryan Ridder stepped up and knocked down four free throws in a row to keep the home team at bay. On the other end of the court, Lorenzi pulled down a pair of rebounds on Warrior misses to help the Eagles close out the victory.
DeBord collected his 11th double-double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Lorenzi and Denver Cobb contributed 19 and 15 points, respectively.
The Eagles will play their final regular season road game of 2008 on Saturday when they travel to Lake Wales to take on Warner Southern. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.
