ST. JOSEPH, Missouri - It took an extra five minutes, but after waiting 611 days, what was five more minutes for the Embry-Riddle men's basketball team as the Eagles came back from 14 points down in the first half on Saturday to beat Missouri Western State in the 2021-22 season opener, 83-77 in overtime. The Eagles (1-0) outscored the Griffons (0-1) 54-39 in the second half and extra period to kick off Head Coach Steve Ridder's 33rd season at the helm of the Embry-Riddle program.
It was a true struggle for the Eagles offensively in the first half as the Blue and Gold found itself down by as many as 14 in the opening period. MWSU accounted for the first five points of the night and was red hot from deep to start, connecting on all six of its first six attempts from deep.
Elijah Jenkins had the first Eagle points of the season with a triple at the 17:58 mark, but the Griffons were able to go out to an 18-9 lead with 12 minutes to play on a JaQuaylon Mays three-pointer.
Michael McCalister came off the bench and immediately had an impact for ERAU, hitting a trey and then registering a steal and layup on the next possession to cut the deficit to 18-14. However, the hosts got back-to-back open threes to stretch the lead back to double-digits at 24-14.
The Griffon lead ballooned to 13 at 27-14 before Malcolm Whitlow, making his Embry-Riddle debut, made a driving layup to stop the run, and then did it again to get ERAU within 27-18.
Nikola Jerotic's layup at the 7:36 mark was the start of an and-one and Jerotic was able to make the score 27-21 with the make from the line.
The Griffons responded to the Eagle run with one of their own, scoring the next eight to enjoy their biggest lead of the first half, 35-21.
ERAU was able to dig in over the final five minutes, holding the Griffons to just one point, ending the half on a 6-1 run and going into the locker room down 38-29.
The Eagles shot 36% from the floor in the first half and was just 3-for-10 from beyond the arc, while MWSU was 42% from the field, and made seven first-half three-pointers.
The start of the second half was a drastically different story as the Blue and Gold began the period on a 13-4 run, starting with a Romeo Crouch layup and culminating with a Jon Alessandro offensive board and put back to tie the game at 42-42.
A couple of MWSU free throws stopped the Eagle spurt, and a few moments later the Griffons were up 46-43 when Alessandro stepped into a passing lane and stole the ball from MWSU, finding Whitlow for a fast break layup.
The Eagles couldn't find a way to tie the game again, and ERAU was down 51-47 before a big three from Cj Henagan off a McCalister pass, and after one free throw from the Griffons, Crouch connected on a three from the top of the key, pushing the Eagles in front for the first time all night and giving him 1,000 career points across his collegiate career.
The two teams traded punches over the next several minutes, neither team taking a lead bigger than one possession for the rest of regulation.
With two minutes left and the Eagles down by two, Jenkins pulled up from the free throw line, made the jump shot and was fouled, completing the three-point play and giving ERAU a 67-66 lead.
MWSU cut the Eagle lead to 69-68 at the 1:17 mark and then neither team could do much offensively, but a trio of offensive rebounds for the Griffons and one made free throw later, the home team had the opportunity to win the game in regulation with the score knotted at 69-69. The Eagles buckled down on defense over the final 15 seconds, forcing a tough shot from Mays that rattled out and the game went to overtime.
As the game moved to the extra period it was the Blue and Gold that struck first, and the Eagles would never trail again after a three-pointer from Jenkins gave them a 72-69 lead.
A couple of Crouch free throws and a turnover from the Griffons came right before a big Alessandro tip-in that pushed ERAU up 76-70 with just under three minutes left in OT.
The Eagles stepped up at the free throw line in overtime, going 9-for-12 from the stripe, including a perfect 6-for-6 from Jenkins and Whitlow as they were able to ice the game at the charity stripe and the Eagle defense clamped down, especially after Mays fouled out early in the overtime period.
Crouch finished with 19 points, five rebounds and two assists, while Jenkins had 18 points for ERAU. Alessandro narrowly missed out on a double-double, going for 15 points, nine boards, four assists and two steals. Whitlow's 12 points off the bench were huge for the Eagles, as were McCalister's eight points and six rebounds off the bench. Jerotic finished with seven points and five rebounds.
The win was ERAU's 18th-straight season-opening victory, and the first time the Eagles had gone to overtime in the season opener since Nov. 1, 2002 against Robert Morris (Ill.), which happened to be the last time the Eagles lost a season opener.
Embry-Riddle will quickly turn its attention to South Region foe No. 20 Alabama-Huntsville on Sunday, Nov. 7. Game time is set for 3:15 p.m. (CT) / 4:15 p.m. (ET).
The 2021-22 Embry-Riddle Men's Basketball season is presented by Daytona Kia.
