DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle men's basketball team dominated the glass and got a big night from its bench in an 86-78 win over Florida Tech on Wednesday evening, completing the season sweep of the Panthers. The Eagles (12-17, 5-13 SSC) kept their Sunshine State Conference Tournament hopes alive with the win, sending the Panthers (8-17, 2-15 SSC) to their seventh straight loss.

Nashad Mackey got his 37th career double-double with 22 points and 10 boards, adding four blocks and two assists, while freshman Nick Heard had a career night for the Blue and Gold, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two assists.

Luka Majstorovic scored the first four points for the Eagles, and after Mackey hit a trey at the 17:55 mark, the Eagles enjoyed a 7-3 lead. However, the Panthers caught fire from long range, hitting seven of their first 10 from deep, going up 23-19 on an Antonis Pefanis triple with 11:48 to play in the first. Heard took over for the next 60 seconds, scoring four quick ones for the Eagles to tie things up before fellow freshman Chris Murray got a jumper to go to give the Eagles a 25-23 lead midway through the opening half.

A few minutes later, Elijah Jenkins made a pair of free throws to push ERAU back in front, 32-31 and ERAU would not trail again, racing out to a seven-point lead on a Heard three and going up by as many as nine when Alston Jones made a pair of free throws with a minute to play. FIT finished the half on a mini, 5-0 run to trim the Eagle lead to 49-44 at the break.

Mackey owned the first three minutes of the second period, scoring all 10 of the home team's points in that span as ERAU went up 59-48 on the senior's three with 17:26 on the clock. FIT whittled the lead down to six at one point, but the Eagles answered with a Joshua Hawkins layup and Heard three, going back up 11, 64-53.

ERAU stretched the lead to 15 when Majstorovic layed one up and in at the 6:59 mark, but the Panthers wouldn't go away, cutting into the deficit and getting to within 78-72 on a pair of Derek Murphy free throws at the 2:08 mark. However, Murray scored four straight Eagle points and Jenkins and Mackey iced the game at the free throw line to preserve the eight-point win.

ERAU grabbed 47 rebounds to FIT's 32, while outscoring the Panther bench, 35-14. Joining Mackey and Heard in double-figures were Majstorovic (16) and Jenkins (10). Murray finished with eight points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Jones had six points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Eagles.

Embry-Riddle hosts Palm Beach Atlantic in the Eagles' final home game of the 2018-19 season on Saturday, Feb. 23. Game time is set for 6 p.m.