DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Eric Lorenzi and David Butler combined for 53 points and 15 rebounds to carry the Embry-Riddle men's basketball team to an 88-83 victory over Tennessee Wesleyan in the second game of the 2010 Bahama House Classic on Friday. Lorenzi finished with a game-high 27 points and seven boards, while Butler tallied 26 points and eight boards as the Eagles improved their overall record to 10-3 on the season.
For the second time in as many games, the Eagles were slow to get their offense going, missing their first four shot attempts and turning the ball over twice in the first two minutes of play. ERAU connected on just one of its eight three-point attempts and finished the half shooting just 42.4 percent from the field.
The fast paced game seem to favor the Bulldogs who scored four unanswered points to start the contest and held a 28-20 lead with 6:28 to go in the first half. However, E'Jay Ward's lay-up on a fast break that gave the Bulldogs the eight-point lead seemed to trigger something in the Eagles' offense. Lorenzi's lay-up at the 6:18 mark ignited a 20-10 Eagle run and a pair of free throws by Glenn Dalcourt gave the Blue and Gold its first lead of the ballgame with 1:49 remaining in the half. Butler came up with a big block and went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe to give ERAU a 40-38 advantage at the half.
The second frame began the same as the first with a Tennessee Wesleyan lay-up, but the Eagles quickly reclaimed the lead with a Lorenzi basket and the momentum seemed to swing in the Eagles' favor as they built the lead to seven points after trailing for the majority of the first half. The lead was short-lived as the Bulldogs got a spark of their own and battled back to register the 10th tie of the game, 58-58, with 12:22 left to play.
Both teams traded baskets over the next four minutes before Tennessee Wesleyan pulled ahead by four points with 7:31 left on the clock. The Eagles wasted little time closing the gap and trailed by just one point at 72-71 at the 5:47 mark.
After going 0-2 in three-point attempts this season, Ray Graham chose Friday's game to showcase his skills from long range, drilling two three-point shots in the closing minutes to help the Blue and Gold reclaim the lead. His first came at the 5:10 mark to put the Eagles up 74-72 and his second was a timely bucket that increased the advantage to five points and swung the momentum back in the Eagles' favor.
The last 1:32 saw the Eagles convert a lay-up and go 4-for-4 from the free throw line, while Butler and Lorenzi each came up with timely blocks to hold off a Bulldog rally and seal the win.
Embry-Riddle returns to action at 7 p.m. on Saturday to close out the Bahama House Classic against Indiana-South Bend who fell to Webber International, 83-64, in the Classic opener.
Saturday's game can be heard live on 1380-AM in Daytona Beach and also on the internet at http://www.news1radio.net
