HELENA, Mont. - Despite a 13-point deficit and a flat-shooting first half, the NAIA II No. 16 Embry-Riddle Eagles were able to hand NAIA I Montana Tech the first loss of their season, 73-69 in the first game of the Carroll College Classic. The Eagles outscored the Orediggers 47-34 in the second period to come away with the win, improving their record to 4-1 overall while Montana Tech fell to 3-1.
The first half proved to be a nightmare for the Eagles offensively as the Eagles managed just 34 percent from the floor and only 15 percent from beyond the arc (2-for-13). The Eagles saw the Orediggers sprint out to an 11-4 lead on a Bryan Bock jumper before the Blue and Gold was able to trim the defitic to just three at 11-8. However, Montana Tech scored the next nine points to take a 20-8 lead with 6:41 left to play in the opening period.
Jason Powell hit the first Eagle three of the game with just over six minutes left in the first, but the Orediggers and Eagles traded baskets the rest of the half, resulting in a 35-26 advantage for Montana Tech.
Bock paced Montana Tech in the first with 15 points, just one shy of his season average of 16 per game. The Eagles committed nine turnovers and recorded just five assists in the first half, but Embry-Riddle did outrebound Montana Tech, 18-15.
The opening moments of the second period looked similar to the play of the first with the Orediggers increasing their lead to 11 at the 16:07 mark on an Adam Greger jump shot.
Embry-Riddle battled back to cut the deficit to 48-44 when Powell hit a runner in the lane after Bock came out of the contest with a leg injury.
Neither team could put a run together untill
Cesar Pastrana was intentionally fouled by Daniel Smith at the midway point of the half. Pastrana made both free throws and that sparked a 15-10 run for the Blue and Gold over the next six minutes, led by the Eagles'
DeForest Carter. Carter managed time-and-again to get into the lane and make good things happen for
Steve Ridder's squad, incuding a driving layup and-one play with 4:30 left in which his made free throw knotted the score at 63-63.
The Eagles took their first lead (one they never surrendered) of the contest when Pastrana got an offensive board off a missed three by Powell and stuck it back in for a 67-65 Eagle advantage. A defensive stop and runout by
Rico Saldana resulted in a fast break dunk that grew the Eagle lead to four at 69-65.
Montana Tech suddenly fell cold from three-point territory, missing their final four long balls while the Eagles were able to make enough free throws at the end to seal the victory.
Carter poured in 21 points for the Eagles on 7-for-13 shooting. He also pulled down six rebounds, dished out four assists and managed two steals. Pastrana has 12 points for the Blue and Gold, but the most telling stat was his seven offensive rebounds, helping ERAU to 14 second-chance points. Pastrana collected 11 total rebounds for a double-double.
Both Saldana and Powell added 11 points for Embry-Riddle who improved their shooting to 59 percent in the second half. The Eagles were 14-for-17 from the floor, a big improvement over the 66 percent clip they managed from the charity stripe entering the game.
Greger paced the Orediggers wit 18 points, while Bock scored 17, but only two in the second half.
Embry-Riddle enjoyed a 39-25 advantage on the boards and surrendered just five turnovers in the second half.
The win snapped the Eagles' two-game losing streak in the state of Montana, and gave ERAU a 1-0 all-time record in the series with the Orediggers.
The Eagles will take on host Carroll (Mont.) tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. (MST).
