DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The 19th-ranked Embry-Riddle men's basketball team shrugged off two straight losses to claim an 81-66 decision over Webber International on Saturday night in the ICI Center. The Eagles (22-6, 11-5) returned home after a pair of close defeats to ranked opponents Southeastern and St. Thomas, pulling away late from the Warriors (8-19, 4-12) for
Steve Ridder's 603rd career victory.
Embry-Riddle led by two with 9:26 left in the game before ending the contest on a 30-17 run to complete the season sweep of Webber International.
Cesar Pastrana led the way for the Blue and Gold, securing a double-double with a game-high 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Eagles grabbed 20 offensive rebounds that led to 21 second chance points which proved to be the difference in the game.
Both teams connected on numerous threes, including Markitis Paige to begin the contest to give the visitors a 3-0 lead. ERAU went up by three when
Dalton Barnes buried a trey at the 15:15 mark, and the home team never trailed again.
Pastrana and Kiesling scored a couple jumpers in the paint before
Brandon Serle came off the bench and hit a triple at the 11:53 mark, expanding the ERAU advantage to double digits.
WIU went on a mini 6-0 run to get within 22-17 on Sean Jowers' free throw just over seven minutes left in the first, but the Eagles kept a three-possession lead thanks to the inside play of Pastrana,
Rico Saldana and
Hudson Cadet.
DeForest Carter nailed a long range jumper for a 31-23 Eagle lead before Pastrana layed one in a few moments later as the advantage again grew to double digits.
Jowers' jumper with 64 seconds left pulled WIU within 35-30, but Barnes ended the half by beating his defender to the basket for a layup to go into the break with a 37-30 ERAU cushion.
Barnes led all scorers at the half with 11 on 5-of-9 shooting, and the ERAU defense held Webber International to just 36-percent from the field.
Webber International failed to go away quietly, and after starting the second half in a slump, got within two points at 51-49 on a Nate Morrell jumper under 10 minutes to go.
Carter answered with a three-ball before Barnes added a jumper, as the two teams traded baskets over the next several minutes.
Jason Powell's three-pointer with six minutes remaining brought the crowd to its feet and the Eagles enjoyed a 61-53 advantage that grew to 65-53 as Pastrana made the Warriors pay inside and
Daniel Kiesling did the same from outside the arc as his three with 3:45 left seemed to put the finishing touched on WIU.
The visitors never got closer than 14 the rest of the game in dropping their sixth consecutive contest.
Complimenting Pastrana's 16 points and 11 rebounds were Carter's 14 points, five assists and three steals and Barnes 13 points and nine boards.
Reed Ridder was the other Eagle in double figures with 11 points.
Raymond Durant paced the Warriors with 15 points while Morrell chipped in 14.
Embry-Riddle wraps up its regular season home schedule on Wednesday, Feb. 19 against Ave Maria beginning at 7 p.m. in the ICI Center.
