DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - That first home Sunshine State Conference victory remains elusive for the Embry-Riddle men's basketball team as the Eagles dropped a heartbreaker to visiting Eckerd on Saturday night in the ICI Center. The Eagles (9-12, 2-8 SSC) got a heroic three-pointer from senior Nashad Mackey with 14 seconds left to take a one-point lead, but after ERAU earned a stop on the defensive end and grabbed a rebound, a controversial jump ball was called, allowing the Tritons (13-4, 6-3 SSC) to hit a jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining before sealing the game at the free throw line.

Mackey's three to give the Eagles the lead was the eighth of nine total lead changes in the game as neither team shot the ball particularly well, both squads at under 40 percent for the contest.  Drushaun McLaurn was the Triton that hit the biggest shot of the night, the go-ahead jumper with just over a second left came after Marco Behori was able to tie up Mackey after he grabbed the rebound off McLaurn's first go-ahead attempt.

After McLaurn's jumper, the Eagles turned the ball over on the in-bounds. Forced to foul, ERAU put McLaurn at the line and he went 2-for-2 at the stripe with less than a second left and Mackey's desperation heave from halfcourt was offline, resulting in the Eckerd win.

ERAU took a four-point lead into the halftime break, but it was Eckerd that took the momentum as the visitors reeled off seven straight points to end the half. Embry-Riddle started hot, leading 7-2 on an Elijah Jenkins three, but Eckerd answered with a 10-2 run over the next four minutes before a Luka Majstorovic three tied things up at 12-12.

Defense was solid for both teams all night, but especially for the Eagles in the first period as ERAU held Eckerd to 36 percent from the field. 

Mackey hit a three to open the scoring in the second half, pushing ERAU's lead out to seven, and the hosts held a five-point lead after a Majstorovic free throw made it 42-37 with 13:22 to play. Eckerd scored the next five points to tie things up, and took a slim lead, on a Gianni Dailey three, but the Eagles stayed close, retaking the lead when Jenkins nailed a trey at the 7:33 mark to give ERAU a 51-49 cushion.

Eckerd was up 56-54 with under four minutes to play, but Majstorovic hit a jumper and Alston Jones made two free throws to knot things up at 56-56 a minute later. McLaurn made a pair from the charity stripe on the next Eckerd possession before Majstorovic tied things up for ERAU again with a tip-in. However, Eckerd got a fastbreak layup from Admir Radoncic with 97 seconds on the clock before both teams traded misses leading up to Mackey's three with 14 seconds left.

Mackey finished with his eighth double-double of the season, scoring 12 points with 13 rebounds, six blocks and three steals, while Majstorovic went for 16 points and eight boards on the night. Both Jones and Jenkins finished with nine points, and Cj Henagan had seven off the bench, with Nick Heard going for five. As a team, the Eagles turned away 12 shots, and recorded 12 steals. 

Marco Behori finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, four steals and four assists for the Tritons in the win, while both McLaurn and Myron Hagins had 10 points and nine boards.

ERAU has a week off before traveling to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to take on Nova Southeastern on Saturday, Jan. 26.