AVE MARIA, Fla. – The 10th-ranked Embry-Riddle men's basketball team battled through an uncharacteristic 24 turnovers to extend its conference record to 7-1 with a 71-52 victory over Ave Maria on Saturday. The Eagles retain their hold on second place in The Sun Conference and are now 19-2 on the year.

The Eagles were the more dominant team at the start of the game, outscoring the Gyrenes 17-6 in the first six minutes to open up an 11-point lead. The Eagle defense was also strong to start the game, forcing 13 Ave Maria turnovers in the first 11 minutes. The miscues led to 14 ERAU points and helped the Eagles extend their advantage to 18 points (34-16) with 6:40 left in the first period.

At the 6:02 mark, the Eagles were called for an offensive foul, and that play started a downward spiral that allowed the Gyrenes to get back into the game. ERAU turned the ball over on the next four consecutive possessions and missed the mark on their next two shot attempts. Meanwhile, Ave Maria began to take care of the basketball and the Gyrenes' new-found composure allowed them to make shots and cut the lead to 12 with 3:21 left in the half. A three-pointer by Kiel Lewis marked the start of an 8-0 AMU run over the last 2:17 and at the intermission, the Eagles led by just seven points, 39-32. Ray Graham came off the bench to pace the Eagle scoring in the first frame, tallying 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.

Coming out of the break, the Eagles still struggled to regain their poise, turning the ball over five times in the first six possessions of the second half. The Gyrenes also struggled in the first three and half minutes of the second stanza, but Dylan Fugate's three ended the scoring drought and pulled the Gyrenes within four (39-34) with 17:24 to play.

Fugate's basket served as a wake-up call for the Eagles who answered immediately with a three-pointer from Glenn Dalcourt. ERAU rattled off seven unanswered points to build its advantage back up to 11 points with 14:27 remaining.

Over the next two minutes the Gyrenes managed to keep within striking distance, but a jumper by Blake Touchard sparked a 9-2 run that helped the Eagles build the lead to back up to 16 points with 9:39 left on the clock. Ave Maria exhibited a never-say-die attitude throughout the remainder of the contest, but in the end, the Eagles proved to be too much and left the Gyrenes' new gymnasium with the 19-point win.

Overall, the Eagles received a balanced effort as shown in their 19 assists on 26 made baskets. Touchard and Graham were ERAU's high scorers at 15 points apiece, with Touchard also contributing four assists and four steals. The Eagles also got a solid all-around effort from David Butler who finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals. Brett Rawlings posted his second double-double of the year with 11 points and 10 boards, while Dalcourt completed the list of ERAU players in double figures with 11 points.

Dylan Fugate led all scorers with 18 points as Ave Maria drops to 12-8 overall and 2-4 in league play.

The Eagles' next game will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday when they host Webber International at the ICI Center.