DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Just one day after receiving their highest ranking since 2006, the No. 2 Embry-Riddle Eagles saw their 14-game winning streak snapped by visiting Southeastern on Wednesday night. The Fire lived up to their moniker by shooting over 57 percent from the floor en route to a 68-66 road victory in Sun Conference action. The Eagles drop to 16-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play while Southeastern jumps to 10-6 and 2-3.
Embry-Riddle took a 3-0 lead on a
Jason Powell three-pointer just 34 seconds into the game, but that field goal would prove to be just one of eight the hosts would convert in the first half.
Daniel Mondragon gave the Eagles' their biggest lead of the night at 7-2 with a jumper at the 16:18 mark in the first, but a 15-5 run by the Fire would give Southeastern a 17-12 lead with just over 10 minutes in the half.
Patrick Ryan scored back-to-back layups to give the visitors a six-point lead with 7:50 remaining on the clock.
Dana Thomas secured the 31-24 half time advantage for the Fire with a layup off a pass from Ryan and the Eagles entered the lockerroom trailing for just the fifth time in 2012-13.
The Fire shot 54 percent from the floor in the first, despite an 0-for-8 clip from beyond the arc. The Eagles were just 8-for-24 from the field for 33 percent.
The second half didn't start the way the hosts would have liked as SEU maintained a comfortable lead, even stretching the advantage to eight on a pair of Thomas free throws with 15 minutes remaining in the second.
Embry-Riddle cut the deficit to two on a
Cesar Pastrana bucket at the 12:58 mark, but SEU pulled back in front by five on a Timothy Jickell three-point play.
Powell's jumper with 11:44 remaining brought his team to within one at 41-40, and just a few possessions later
Daniel Kiesling delivered a three-ball to give the Eagles a 45-43 lead with under 10 minutes to play.
Southeastern burst out to a seven-point lead several times over the next six minutes, each time the Eagles got to within a couple points the Fire and Jickell answered. Jickell scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half to pace the visitors.
Trailing by seven with 3:36 left, the Eagles got a three from
DeForest Carter and a layup from Kiesling to cut the lead to two. Powell put the Eagles on top with a three-pointer at the 1:18 mark, and it looked as if the hosts might be able to pull out a victory. However, a blocking foul went against Kiesling and the Eagles on the next Fire possession and Thomas made both from the charity stripe to put his team back up by one, 66-65.
Pastrana was stripped of the ball by Ryan with 45 ticks on the clock but the Eagles got a steal of their own as Ryan turned the ball over with 15 seconds remaining. Carter drove to the hoop but was tied up and the ball went into the hands of Ryan with just four seconds left.
Ryan made both free throws after an Eagle foul and
Steve Ridder called time to set up his offense, trailing by three with less than three seconds on the clock.
Carter was fouled and made the first of his one-and-one free throw trip. An intentional miss by Carter was blown dead as the sophomore commited a lane violation and the Fire got the ball on the baseline with 2.4 seconds left.
On the in-bounds play Thomas' pass was intercepted by Carter just a few feet from the hoop and as Carter fell out of bounds he threw up a prayer that just bounced off the rim to send the Eagles to their first defeat since Nov. 10.
Southeastern finished the night with a 57 percent shooting clip, led by Jickell's 22 and Ryan's 14 points and 11 assists.
Powell had 19 for the Eagles, his third 19-point game in four contests, while Pastrana scored 13 and Carter chipped in 12.
Embry-Riddle will look to rebound quickly as they host NAIA II No. 17 St. Thomas on Saturday night in the ICI Center. Tip is set for 7 p.m.
