BOSTON, Mass. - Dalton Barnes scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Embry-Riddle men's basketball team to an 88-82 win over the Fisher Falcons on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles improved to 4-0 on the year while dropping the Falcons to 2-1 at the Facteau-Leary Gymnasium.

Embry-Riddle returns to Daytona Beach next weekend to play host to the Daytona Mitsubishi Shootout, featuring NAIA II No. 19 Cincinnati Christian, NAIA I No. 5 Talladega and NAIA II (RV) Briar Cliff.

Barnes, a sophomore guard from Port Orange, Fla., scored 14 points in each half, thanks in large part to a 5-for-6 effort from long range as the Blue and Gold was forced to withstand a hot-shooting Falcon team that shot nearly 50 percent from the floor and registered nine three-pointers on the day.

Onesimus Moore began the scoring for the Falcons with a layup in the home team's first possession, but Reed Ridder gave the visitors a lead with a triple just 30 seconds later. The two teams went back-and-forth over the next several minutes until a Barnes' trey pushed the Eagles in front by three at 12-9 with just over 15 minutes on the clock.

The Falcons stormed back to knot the game at 14-14 before a Hudson Cadet layup regained the lead for ERAU and that began a mini-run for the Eagles as Ridder hit a three and Joseph Gonzalez recorded two of his nine points on a fatsbreak jumper.

Fisher hung tough, getting back to within three at 23-20 when Jameel Yousif layed one in, but the Eagles built a nine-point cushion on a Daniel Kiesling three and another Barnes shot from downtown.

ERAU stayed up by multiple possessions over the final five minutes of the first period, going up nine when Gonzalez connected on another jumper, but Ira Haywood recaptured some momentum for the Falcons with a three right before the half as ERAU took a 44-38 lead into the break.

Coming out of the locker room, the Falcons went on a 7-0 run, capped by a Moore steal and layup to take a 45-44 lead, but Barnes got a good pass from DeForest Carter and made his own layup for ERAU.

Carter got his first points of the Boston trip with a steal and score as ERAU went up 50-45, but Tyler Shular recorded a old fashioned three-point play followed by a trey as the Falcons recaptured a one-point advantage with 16:13 left in regulation.

Carter made two free throws a few moments later to give the Eagles the lead for good, and Barnes scored the game's next four points as ERAU went up by six.

With 11 minutes left Barnes connected on a big triple as the Eagle lead grew to nine, and ERAU enjoyed a sizable cushion for the next several minutes until around seven minutes left when the Falcons edged to within five at 75-70 when Shular hit another trey.

Cadet made two clutch free throws on the next Eagle possession and both defenses took over, as neither team scored for nearly three minutes.

Haywood's fastbreak layup with four minutes left cut the Falcon deficit to 78-74, and after both teams traded a single free throw, Barnes was fouled going to the hoop. Barnes made both as ERAU's lead grew to six at 81-75 with 90 seconds left but a Moore jumper again brought the home team within four.

On the next trip down the floor the Eagles went to the hot hand of Barnes who nailed a corner triple with 57 seconds left, putting Embry-Riddle up 84-77 and thanks to four Carter free throws over the final minute, the Eagles held off Fisher for the 88-82 final.

Barnes 28 came on 9-for-14 shooting while he added six assists and two steals. All five ERAU starters scored in double-digits, with Ridder, Carter and Pastrana all with 12 points and Kiesling with 11. Carter dished out a game-high eight assists, while the Eagles as a team recorded 27.

Fisher also placed five in double-figures, led by Moore's 18 and Shular's 15. 17 Falcon turnovers lef to 23 points for the Blue and Gold who were outrebounded 32-30 by Fisher.