WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Spectators were treated to a sense of deja vu on Thursday night as the top-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles got a three-pointer from
DeForest Carter with the clock running down to beat eighth-ranked Northwood on the Seahawks' home court. Carter's triple with nine second on the clock, followed by a pair of clutch free throws from
Reed Ridder, pushed the Eagles to a 70-68 win over Northwood, just the third time in four seasons the Seahawks have lost during the regular season on their home court. The top 10 battle had a familiar feel for Eagle and Seahawk fans as Carter's trey was a flashback to his game-tying three against NU in The Sun Conference Tournament title game last season, a contest eventually won by Embry-Riddle in double-overtime.
Embry-Riddle remained unbeaten with the victory, moving to 10-0 overall and 2-0 in league play while the Seahawks slip to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in The Sun Conference. The win also moved the Eagles' all-time record while ranked No. 1 to 49-6.
Stephon Smith converted a pair of free throws with 39 seconds left to knot the game at 65-65 after an eventful second half that saw both teams lead by at least four on separate occassions. The Eagles, who were without the services of
Cesar Pastrana and
Dalton Barnes after they both fouled out earlier in the contest, looked to Carter who pulled up from 23 feet out and coldly drilled the jumper with a defender in his face. The ensuing Northwood possession resulted in a turnover when several Seahawks converged at mid-court as the ball skipped out of bounds for Embry-Riddle possession with 3.3 seconds on the clock.
Ridder was fouled before the Eagles could in-bound the ball and the sophomore from Ormond Beach, Fla. stepped to the line and made the first of a 1-and-1 offering at the charity stripe to earn a second free throw which he also converted to give the Eagles a five-point advantage at 70-65.
Northwood made an uncontested, deep, but ultimately meaningless, three-pointer as time expired to account for the final.
The entire game pitted two of the best defensive teams in the country against one aother and the field goal percentages proved that to be true as the Eagles finished at 41-percent from the floor and the Seahawks just 39-percent.
Barnes led the Eagle effort in the first period, scoring 12 of his 16 points in the opening perod, including two treys as Embry-Riddle took an eight-point lead into the lockerroom.
Northwood came out of the break in attack mode, cutting the Eagle lead to a single possession within two minutes, but the visitors were able to stay in front thanks in large part to solid free throw shooting and a pair of threes from Carter and Ridder.
The Seahawks tied the game at 47-47 when Chris Solomon hit a three at the 13:08 mark and NU took its first lead of the second half with 9:22 on the clock on a couple of Solomon's free throws.
Both teams went back-and-forth for the next seven minutes, trading one and two-point leads. With Northwood leading 60-59 with 2:48 left, the Seahawks ran an in-bounds play for Solomon and the transfer guard pulled up from beyond the arc, failing to see a charging Carter who blocked Solomon's shot out of his hand and took it the other way for an easy layup as the Eagles reclaimed the lead, 61-60.
Pastrana's jumper with 60 seconds left put the Blue and Gold up 65-63, leading to Smith's tying free throws a few moments later.
Carter finished with 18 points, nine rebounds (no turnovers), four blocks, four rebounds and two steals in 35 minutes of action. Barnes was the only other Eagle who finished with double-figures with 16 points.
Daniel Kiesling was huge off the bench for the Blue and Gold, chipping in eight points and pulling down a game-high nine rebounds while also blocking two shots. Ridder had nine pioints and Pastrana had eight in the winning effort.
The Eagles, one of just two remaining undefeated teams in NAIA II, will travel to San Antonio, Texas for a Saturday, Dec. 14 date with NAIA I Our Lady of the Lake. Game time is slated for a 7:30 p.m. (CST) tip.
