DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A measure of revenge was taken on Saturday night by the Embry-Riddle men's basketball team as Head Coach Steve Ridder's squad gutted out an 82-75 win over visiting Tampa in the ICI Center. The Eagles (14-7) avenged an earlier-season loss to the Spartans (14-8) by ending the game on a 14-5 run to guarantee a winning season for Ridder, the 27th straight season his team has accomplished the feat.

Dillon Graham came up huge for the Blue and Gold down the stretch, making the play of the game on the defensive end of the floor before icing the win at the free throw line. Trailing 70-68 with just under four minutes to play, the Eagles got a big jumper from Shaquan McArthur to tie the game before a big defensive stop led to a Luka Majstorovic layup on the other end, marking the 14th and final lead change of the night as ERAU took a 72-70 lead.

The Spartans were repeatedly repelled by the Eagles on the ensuing possession, and despite three offensive rebounds following three missed shots, the Spartans couldn't find the bottom of the net and following a Spartan timeout, Graham stepped in and stripped the ball away from Mekhi Biffle, grabbing the ball before calling a timeout with 90 seconds left to play.

Out of the timeout, the Eagles went to Graham on the offensive end, and the senior delivered with a drive to the basket and a layup for a four-point Eagle advantage. An Eagle foul resulted in UT going 1-for-2 at the free throw line and forcing the Spartans to foul over the final minute. Graham was nothing less than perfect at the charity stripe, going 6-for-6 while the Spartans couldn't inch closer than three the rest of the way, and Dalton Barnes joined his fellow senior with a perfect pair of charity tosses at the end to account for the 82-75 final.

The late-game heroics came after a poor start for the Eagles who had entered Saturday's contest on an offensive roll, but couldn't find their rhythm early on against Tampa. ERAU shot just 39 percent over the first 20 minutes, but the home team was able to keep UT within striking distance, and after being down as many as eight, ERAU was able to take the lead on a Majstrovic jumper for a 23-22 cushion and the two teams played the rest of the half to a 32-32 tie heading into the break.

Barnes and Skyler Hogan led the way in the opening half with 11 and 10 points, respectively, but after halftime McArthur started to heat up for the Eagles, as he and Majstorovic combined for eight straight points and a 42-36 advantage at the 16-minute mark.

The hosts stayed in front for the next several minutes, building their lead up to as many as seven on a Hogan trey at teh 11:16 mark, but Tampa answered with an 8-0 run to retake the lead and the final eight minutes featured back-and-forth basketball featured five lead changes and three ties before the Eagles pulled away late.

Barnes led all scorers with 23 points while adding six assists for the Eagles. Hogan went for 17 points, five boards and three assists and Graham finished with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. McArthur recorded a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.

ERAU shot 62 percent in the second half to finish the game at 50 percent from the field, while going 15-for-18 at the free throw line and committing just seven turnovers (one in the closing period).

Embry-Riddle has won four straight and will head to Lakeland to take on Florida Southern on Saturday, Feb. 11 for a 7:30 p.m. tilt against the Mocs.