GEORGETOWN, Ky. – Embry-Riddle Head Coach Steve Ridder led his Embry-Riddle men's basketball team back to his home state of Kentucky, but the reception was not as warm as he would have liked. Host Georgetown (Ky.), ranked ninth in the NAIA Division I national preseason poll, handed the fifth-ranked Eagles (3-1) their first loss of the season, topping the Blue and Gold 71-53 in both teams' first contest at the 17th annual Jim Reid Classic.

A stifling Georgetown defense limited the Eagles to just 33.3 percent from the field, including 31.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Tiger pressure also forced 20 ERAU turnovers, but the Eagles also hurt themselves at the free throw line, managing only 53.3 percent (8-of-15) from the charity stripe.

Georgetown got off to quick start in the contest, winning the opening tip and scoring the game's first basket just 11 seconds into the contest. The Tigers went up 4-0 before the Eagles were able to score their first points on a Ray Graham tip-dunk at the 18:47 mark. The Eagles pulled within one (6-5) but the Tigers quickly widened the gap and led by 11 (23-12) with 8:49 left in the half.

The deficit was not the only challenge the Eagles were up against as they had to play the latter part of the half without the services of David Butler and Will Benjamin as both big men were whistled for three fouls each in the first 20 minutes. The Eagles were able to rise above the setbacks and a pair of three-point baskets by Brandon Caputo and another by Jarod Leonard cut the Tigers' lead to two (23-21) at the 7:13 mark. The Tigers withstood the Eagle surge and built the lead back up to seven (30-23).

With 2:27 left in the first half, Blake Touchard forced Russ Middleton to cough up the basketball in the back court and the Eagle junior raced to the rim for an easy lay-up, prompting Georgetown Head Coach Happy Osborne to call a timeout. The five players Osborne put on the floor after the 75-second break rattled off seven unanswered points to give the Tigers a 37-27 cushion.

Turnovers proved to be the Eagles undoing as they were called for miscues on back-to-back possessions during the Tigers 7-0 run. With 36 seconds left in the first half, the Eagles forced the Tigers to turn the ball over and chose to hold the ball for one shot. The Eagles' execution in the closing seconds of the frame was just what Ridder wanted as Touchard drove to the basket for a lay-up that cut the Tiger lead to eight (37-29) at the intermission.

The first five minutes of the second half saw the Tigers' cushion hover between four and six points. Turnovers on three consecutive Eagle possessions helped Georgetown extend the advantage to 49-37 and while the Eagles were able to make it a nine-point (49-40) game midway through the period, they were unable to get closer as the Tigers shot 56 percent from the field in the second frame to claim the win.

Caputo and Graham finished as the leading scorers for the Eagles with 10 points apiece. Touchard led the Eagle players with seven, while Butler and Graham had six boards each.

Vic Moses led all scorers with 18 points, while Rodney Haddix led the way on the boards with 10 rebounds as the Tigers improved to 5-0 on the year.

The Eagles return to the hard court at 4 p.m. on Saturday when they take on NAIA Division I No. 21 Life in the consolation game.