DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The 2017-18 basketball season finally, officially, arrived for the Embry-Riddle men's basketball team on Friday night as the Eagles cruised past Mississippi College, 92-73 in the Daytona Mitsubishi/Kia Shootout. The Eagles (1-0), now full members of the NCAA II and Sunshine State Conference, used a big run to end the first half and another big run to start the second, to win their 14th straight season opener, and improve to 45-6 all-time in the Daytona Mitsubishi/Kia Shootout. The Choctaws (0-1) scored the final 10 points of the game to turn a 29-point deficit into just a 19-point loss. 

The Eagles had five players score in double-figures, led by newcomer Rudy Bibb-Boyd's 17 points, while the sophomore from Gainesville also dished out a game-high seven assists. The Blue and Gold welcomed back Ognjen Miljkovic after the Belgrade, Serbia native redshirted a season ago, with Miljkovic scoring 14 points in just 23 minutes for ERAU.

Miljkovic's fellow Serbian Luka Majstorovic started the game with a block on the defensive end before hitting a jumper in the paint for the first bucket of the season for the Eagles, and ERAU would go out to a 14-9 lead on a Miljkovic layup at the 13:10 mark. However, the Choctaws stayed with the hosts through the first 13 minutes of the contest, cutting the deficit down to 26-24 when Boston Brandon scored two of his game-high 18 with just over seven minutes to play in the first half. 

Bibb-Boyd sparked a 12-4 run over the next two minutes with a triple, capped by a Brian Johnson tip-in with 4:22 remaining to make it 38-28. A pair of MC free throws from Stacey Mack preceded another 12-4 ERAU run, this time to close out the half. Cole Hunter scored eight of the Eagles' 12 points during the last three minutes, connecting on two three-pointers and adding a tip-in before Shaquan McArthur ended the scoring in the period with a jumper, resulting in a 50-34 lead for the Eagles.

Miljkovic's 14 points led all scorers in the first half, while Bidd-Boyd added 10. The Eagles shot 57 percent in the period, holding the Choctaws to a 38 percent clip, and out-rebounded the visitors, 21-13.

Mississippi College came out of the break trying to claw its way back into the game, finding some success as the Choctaws whittled the lead down to 52-42 on a Boston dunk with 17:15 left, but a three from Bibb-Boyd stopped the run, and ERAU would go on a 7-2 run to go back up by 15 with 14 minutes left to play.

Again the visitors were able to get within 10 on an Isaiah Austin jumper with 13:14 left, but the home team put the game away over the next three minutes, outscoring MC 12-2 as Majstorovic was responsible for five straight points before McArthur and freshman Elijah Jenkins hit back-to-back jumpers, with Jenkins' bucket coming from behind the arc.

Embry-Riddle grew the lead to as many as 29 on a Johnson dunk at the four minute mark, and after both teams went to the bench, the Choctaws went on a 10-0 run to end the contest, but it was much too little, too late as ERAU won, 92-73.

Nashad Mackey had a solid ERAU debut with nine points and 10 rebounds, while Majstorovic, McArthur and Johnson all joined Bibb-Boyd and Miljkovic in double-figures offensively with 12, 10 and 10, respectively. ERAU finished with 19 assists on 35 field goals, as well as going 12-for-22 from long range. The Eagles collected nine steals, led by Joshua Hawkins' three. Mississippi College was able to keep it within 30 thanks to a 22-for-27 effort at the free throw stripe, compared to ERAU's 8-for-11 finish.

The Eagles wrap up the Daytona Mitsubishi/Kia Shootout tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 11 with a 4 p.m. tilt against Paine College. In Friday's first game, Palm Beach Atlantic had no problem with the Lions, beating Paine, 110-73. PBA will square off against MC at 2 p.m. tomorrow in the ICI Center.

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