DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle men's basketball team started the 2012-13 season on Saturday night, taking care of Sterling (Kan.), 74-58 to earn the Eagles' first win of the year. The Blue and Gold (1-0) used a stifling defense in the first half to take a 40-22 lead into the break and never looked back. The Eagles will turn their attention to next weekend's Daytona Mitsubishi/Kia Shootout, presented by SW Grill and their Friday night opponent, Shawnee State (Ohio).

The story of the night proved to be the Eagles' defense. The Warriors (1-1) shot just .250 from the floor in the first frame, managing just seven made field goals. Although Sterling improved it's shooting percentage to .429 in the second half, it was too little too late as the Eagles had a sizable lead throughout the final 20 minutes of play.

Sterling enjoyed a short-lived 5-4 lead with just under 17 minutes left to play in the first half, but Jason Powell's breakway layup at the 16:27 mark gave the Blue and Gold a lead it never relinquished.

The Eagles applied the pressure on the defensive end and it paid off on the offensive end as Head Coach Steve Ridder's squad grew the lead to its biggest margin of 19 with nine seconds left in the first. Embry-Riddle shot .500 from the field, including a 4-for-11 mark from behind the arc. Powell had 10 of the Eagles' 40 points in the period.

The second half started the same way the first ended, with the Eagles' defense too much for the Warriors. Embry-Riddle's largest lead of the night came at the 13:28 mark when Powell hit his first of two three-point buckets to put the Eagles up 52-29.

The Warriors were able to chip away at the lead, cutting their deficit to 13 with 9:21 left to play, but a quick four-point spurt by the Eagles quickly ballooned the lead back to 17. Sterling made another run in the closing moments, getting the Eagle advantage under double-digits, but the Eagles scored nine of the final 11 points to secure the victory.

Powell led the way for the Eagles with 16 points, three assists and two steals, while Rico Saldana, in his first game as an Eagle, posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards. Senior Daniel Mondragon chipped in 11 points, five assists and two steals, and DeForest Carter managed seven points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block. Daniel Kiesling, along with Saldana, made his Embry-Riddle debut against the Warriors, playing 16 minutes and pulling down five rebounds in the win.

Embry-Riddle ended the game with a .456 shooting percentage from the field and a .700 clip from the charity stripe. Both teams recorded 37 rebounds, but the Eagles collected 18 assists to Sterling's 11, while also winning the turnover battle with three less than the Warriors' 16.

Embry-Riddle improves to 21-4 in season openers and 2-0 against Sterling.

The Eagles will host the Bears of Shawnee State (1-1) on Friday night, Nov. 9 at 8 p.m.