DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Friday's NAIA II top 25 showdown between 19th-ranked Cincinnati Christian and 13th-ranked Embry-Riddle went the home team's way in the semifinals of the 2014 Daytona Mitsubishi/Kia Shootout as the Blue and Gold pulled away late from the Golden Eagles for an 82-68 victory. Embry-Riddle (5-0) moves on to Saturday's championship contest against NAIA II (RV) Briar Cliff at 8 p.m. while CCU (5-2) drops into the consolation game versus NAIA I No. 5 Talladega at 6 p.m.

Leading by just three with six minutes remaining in regulation, the Eagles turned to seniors Cesar Pastrana and DeForest Carter to carry them home as the pair scored 12 of the next 14 ERAU points to allow the hosts to put some distance between the two Eagle squads. Carter finished with a season-high 21 points, 18 of which came in the second half, while Pastrana dropped in 18 points, including an 8-for-10 clip at the charity stripe.

CCU's Kenny Gaynor got the scoring started with a jumper in the paint on the first offensive possession of the contest, but the Eagles' big man answered when Pastrana backed Gaynor down and finished under the hoop for a 2-2 tie. Pastrana again beat Gaynor on the next ERAU trip down the floor and Carter drilled the first of his three treys at the 17:47 mark for a 7-2 Embry-Riddle advantage.

A 7-2 run over the next three minutes sparked the visitors to within a point at 10-9, and Willie McKinney gave the Golden Eagles a one-point cushion with a fastbreak layup off a nice pass from Gaynor. However, the lead was short-lived as Embry-Riddle went to Daniel Kiesling and Dalton Barnes for nine straight points, capped by Kiesling's triple as the Eagles enjoyed a 19-14 lead at the 11:41 mark.

Embry-Riddle maintained a multiple possession lead for most of the first half, going up by as many as 11 when Kiesling connected on his third three-pointer with 2:20 left, but CCU finished the period on an 8-2 run to close the gap to 35-30 when Mitch McLeish went 3-for-3 from the free throw line after he was fouled in the act of shooting a three with five seconds left.

Exiting the locker room with a five-point edge, the Eagles immediately went inside to Pastrana who drew two quick fouls on McKinnie within 30 seconds, forcing the CCU frontcourt member to the bench with four total fouls.

ERAU held on to a seven point advantage when Carter made a layup for a 43-36 lead and after Jason Powell went 2-for-2 at the line with 13 minutes remaining in regulation, the ERAU lead was eight.

Cincinnati Christian went on a 12-2 run after Powell's free throws, knotting the game at 49-49 when DJ McCommons made a free throw at the 11:23 mark and taking their final lead of the night when Gaynor hit a tough shot in the paint to go up 51-49.

Following a pair of clutch free throws from Hudson Cadet with just under nine minutes left, Embry-Riddle was the beneficiary of six straight points from Carter, followed by a Cadet reverse layup off a Barnes assist for a 59-55 lead.

Reed Ridder made good on a three-point attempt with seven minutes on the clock and after a McLeish layup a minute later, Pastrana and Carter took over for the Blue and Gold as a three-point lead grew to a 12-point advantage in less than three mintues.

A Carter and-one play with 2:32 left resulted in a 76-63 lead and the visitors would get no closer over the closing minutes as Embry-Riddle remained perfect in 2014-15 with their fifth straight win.

ERAU forced 22 turnovers and turned them into 29 points while four players scored in double-figures for the Blue and Gold. Along with his 21 points, Carter picked up five assists, four blocks and six steals, moving past Ryan Rothrock on the all-time scoring list with 1,352 career points. Meanwhile, Pastrana grabbed six boards to move into 10th-place all-time in career rebounds (625). Kiesling added 12 points and four boards while Joseph Gonzalez scored in double-figures for the fourth time in five games with 10 points.

McLeish led CCU with 22 points, including a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line, while Gaynor scored 10 points and dished out four assists.