Embry-Riddle (23-6, 12-5) at Warner (11-17, 4-13) 2/22/14 | Lake Wales, Fla. - Turner Athletic Center | 2 p.m. (2013-14 Stats) Stats at a Glance WU ERAU Scoring Average 74.5 75.2 FG Percentage .441 (672-1523) .475 (780-1642) 3PT FG Percentage .347 (189-545) .334 (185-554) FT Percentage .710 (478-673) .695 (437-629) Rebounds 31.8 39.8 Assists 12.5 17.8 Turnovers 12.4 16.3 Steals 6.8 8.5 Related Links • 2013-14 Embry-Riddle Stats • NAIA National Rankings

GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Embry-Riddle at Warner
DATE: Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014
CITY: Lake Wales, Fla.
SITE: Turner Athletic Center
TIP-OFF: 2 p.m. ET
LIVE STATS: Stretch Internet
LIVE AUDIO: Stretch Internet
LIVE VIDEO: Stretch Internet - Warner broadcast
ON THE RADIO: WELE 1380 AM
SERIES: ERAU leads, 43-14
LAST MEETING: ERAU 59, WU 58 • Jan. 25, 2013 - Daytona Beach, Fla.

THE OPENING TIP
• Embry-Riddle and Warner will be playing for 58th time in men's basketball.
• The Royals have dropped four of their last five games, including an overtime loss to St. Thomas on Feb. 8.
• ERAU is 6-4 on the road in 2013-14, losing its last three away contests.
• Saturday's contest marks ERAU Head Coach Steve Ridder's 832nd career game.

THE EAGLES
Embry-Riddle is looking to end the 2013-14 regular season on Saturday with the No. 3 seed for the conference tournament in sight. If the Eagles beat Warner and Northwood loses to Southeastern on Saturday, then ERAU would be the No. 3 seed for the TSC Tournament. If the Eagles win and Northwood beat SEU, but loses to Thomas on Monday, then the 3/4 seeds would be decided by a coin flip.

Cesar Pastrana has come on strong as of late for the Blue and Gold, averaging 15.0 points for the Eagles in the last four contests. On the year, Pastrana averages 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds while DeForest Carter and Dalton Barnes lead the Eagles with 14.6 and 12.9 points per game respectively. Carter leads the league with 6.1 assists per game and ranks second with 2.7 steals per outing.

ERAU has held opponents to an average of 63.1 points per game, the sixth-best mark in the country. Embry-Riddle ranks No. 1 in three-point field goal percentage defense at 29.6-percent, while its 39-percent overall field goal percentage defense is ranked No. 2.

Last Time Out
The 20th-ranked Embry-Riddle men's baketball team sprinted out to an early lead over Ave Maria on Wednesday night, withstanding a second half comeback attempt by the Gyrenes to claim the final regular season home contest of 2013-14, 57-50. The Eagles (23-6, 12-5) led by as many as 17 early in the second period, but had to hold on for a seven-point victory after Ave Maria (11-17, 5-12) cut the lead to as few as six. The Blue and Gold hit just 15 field goals on the night, but enjoyed a 22-for-26 clip at the charity stripe and held its fifth opponent to 50 points or less.

Embry-Riddle set the tone early, connecting on its first four shots for an 11-3 lead. Dalton Barnes, DeForest Carter and Reed Ridder all hit triples in the first four minutes for ERAU.

Jason Powell's jumper with 14:24 left in the first made it 15-5 in favor of the hosts, but Ave Maria was able to trim the lead to 16-11 on a Joseph Guernsey put-back with 11:20 on the clock.

After Cesar Pastrana made good on his only field goal of the game, Powell was fouled attempting a trey and the junior went a perfect 3-for-3 from the line to give Embry-Riddle a 21-11 advantage.

The Eagles held AMU to just 16 first half points, including just five over the final 11 minutes of the period as Embry-Riddle took a 28-16 cushion into the lockerroom.

The home team built on its solid first half in the opening moments of the second, taking a 12-point lead and growing it to 17 when Rico Saldana made a free throw with 15:30 left in regulation.

The Gyrenes got back into the game with a quick 7-0 spurt helped by seven consecutive fouls called on Embry-Riddle. Ave Maria pulled to within 37-29 when Wendell Powell went 1-for-2 from the charity stripe with just under 12 minutes left, and two possessions later a Matt Chattin three cut the ERAU lead to 39-32.

Embry-Riddle got five straight free throws for a 46-34 cushion with eight minutes left, but again the Gyrenes rallied and a Wendell Powell layup with 4:39 remaining brought Ave Maria within six at 47-41.

Pastrana converted two free throws before a big defensive stop by the Embry-Riddle defense lead to Barnes' second trey of the night that ballooned the Eagle lead back to double-digits at 52-41.

Embry-Riddle made five of its final six free throws to seal the victory, ending the night 22-of-26 for 85-percent. Carter and Pastrana led the Eagles with 13 points each as Carter added five assists and Pastrana pulled down seven rebounds. Barnes scored in double figures with 10.

Embry-Riddle celebrated the career of senior Rico Saldana before the game as the lone senior on the Eagle roster. Saldana finished the night 3-for-4 from the field and 1-for-2 from the free throw line for seven points.

SCOUTING WARNER
The Royals are battling for seeding for The Sun Conference Tournament on Saturday, standing at 4-13 in the league, tied with Florida Memorial for last. The Royals have dropped four of their last five, including an overtime loss to St. Thomas in Lake Wales. ERAU needed all 59 points to down the Royals in Daytona Beach in January, getting a Dalton Barnes layup with 1.2 seconds left to give Steve Ridder his 600th career victory. WU averages 74.5 points per game on 44-percent shooting from the field and 35-percent from the three-point area.

Eddie Delegal, who did not play against ERAU in the team's first meeting, averaged 15.6 points per game for the Royals, pulling down 6.4 rebounds to lead the team. Warren Hall chips in 12.2 points and 4.6 rebounds while Mitch Rice has made 59 three-pointers for Warner.

THE ERAU-WU SERIES
Saturday's game marks 58th meeting between the Eagles and Royals with Embry-Riddle holding a 43-14 all-time advantage in the series. Last season, the Eagles and Royals split their regular season series with each team winning at home, but the Eagles were able to claim the rubber match in The Sun Conference Tournament with an 87-75 win in the quarterfinals.

CHASING MILESTONES
Junior guard DeForest Carter has produced another stat-stuffing season, already in elite standing amongst the program greats. Here are his career ranks in several categories:
• 1,267 points (17th)
• 561 assists (3rd - needs three more to pass Tom Fagley for 2nd all-time)
• 532 rebounds
• 358 free throws made (5th)
• 225 steals (4th)
• 132 blocks (6th)

BY THE NUMBERS
1,267 - Points scored by DeForest Carter, No. 17 on the all-time scoring list
604 - Wins by Head Coach Steve Ridder now in his 25th season with ERAU men's basketball
576 - Career rebounds pulled down by Cesar Pastrana
223 - Conference wins in program history
25 - Seasons under the guidance of Head Coach Steve Ridder
13 - NAIA National Tournament appearances
10 - Sun Conference Tournament titles
8 - Regular season conference championships
1 - NAIA National Championship (2000)

AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Heading into his 25th season at the helm of the ERAU men's basketball program, Head Coach Steve Ridder ranks fifth on the NAIA Division II men's basketball winningest active coaches listing. Ridder has 604 wins in 25 seasons as the Eagles' head coach.