BABSON PARK, Fla. ? The Embry-Riddle men's basketball team suffered its first conference loss of the season, falling to Webber International, 80-72, on the road Wednesday.
The Warriors' Mark Marlar scored the first bucket of the night off an assist from Halston Shaffer, but the Eagles' Tyler DeBord answered with back-to-back baskets to put ERAU up 4-2.
Webber International tied the game at the 18-minute mark and controlled the pace for the next four minutes, leading by as many as six.
The Eagles' Eric Lorenzi converted a three-point play, as he scored the basket and drew a foul to tie the game, 14-14, with 13:04 remaining in the first half.
Ray Graham came off the bench for the Eagles and sparked the offense, as he drove to the basket for two points, putting the Blue and Gold up by two. But a three-pointer from the Warriors' Tyler Hoevenaar and two Eagle turnovers allowed Webber International to regain the lead and hold it for the next four minutes.
DeBord scored off an assist from Danny Deaver, putting the Eagles up 26-24 at the eight-minute mark. ERAU carried the momentum through the remainder of the first half, heading to the locker room with a 44-37 lead.
DeBord, Lorenzi and Denver Cobb came out strong in the second frame, scoring the first ten points for the Eagles, which allowed Embry-Riddle to hold the lead until the 13-minute mark.
WIU reclaimed the lead after a lay-up and a three-pointer, putting the Warriors' up 57-54. Cobb connected on his second three-pointer of the half to tie the game for the fifth time, 57-57.
Webber International capitalized on the Eagles' struggling offense and maintained the lead for the next seven minutes of the contest. Embry-Riddle's Glenn Dalcourt drained a shot from beyond the arc, tying the game at 62-62 for the sixth and final time.
The Warriors went on an 8-0 run, led by Marlar, who netted six of his 24 points during the run.
With 2:34 remaining on the clock, Embry-Riddle pulled within two after the defense forced two Warrior turnovers.
A basket and free-throw increased the Warriors' scoring margin to five, 75-70, with under two minutes to play.
DeBord put the Eagles' within three off an assist from Danny Krazit, but the Warriors came up with a huge defensive stop, and a bucket by Marlar secured a five-point lead with 35 seconds remaining.
An Eagle foul put Hoevenaar on the charity stripe and he sunk two shots for the Warriors, giving them a 79-72 lead. Embry-Riddle was unable to fight back, as a missed shot and a foul sent Webber International's Brandon Streeter to the line for the final point of the game.
The Warriors put an end to the Eagles' 14-game winning streak, putting Embry-Riddle at 4-1 in league play and 18-3 on the season.
DeBord led the Eagles with his seventh double-double of the season, tallying 20 points and 10 rebounds. Lorenzi grabbed 14 boards and put up 17 points, while Cobb added 11 points. Krazit dished out seven assists and Dalcourt went 3-for-4 from the three-point line, scoring a total of nine points for the Eagles.
The Blue and Gold will be back in action on Saturday as they take on the Warner Royals in Lake Wales, Fla. at 4 p.m.
