DAYTONA BEACH, Florida - The Embry-Riddle men's basketball team snapped its three-game losing streak on Saturday with an 87-72 win over visiting Tampa in the ICI Center. The Eagles (13-5, 6-5 SSC) dominated the final eight minutes, outscoring the Spartans (6-11, 5-6 SSC) 25-8, to secure a season split with UT. Both teams shot the ball very well, but it was the Eagles at 54.4%, led by Malcolm Whitlow and Chris Murray, who emerged with the win.

The Eagle charge began at the 8:37 mark, trailing 64-62 Wesley Simpson came through with a massive three that sparked an 8-0 spurt, and the hosts never looked back. The Spartans kept within a few possessions until Whitlow's trey at the 3:57 mark pushed the Eagle lead to nine, and then Jon Alessandro and Simpson made back-to-back layups to make it a 13-point game at 83-70, and by then, it was too late for the Spartans to make a rally.

Tampa led 8-6 at the 16-minute mark of the first period, but Dru Nickson's jumper started a 6-0 run for the home team, capped by a Whitlow bucket, and the Eagles did not trail the remainder of the first half, going up by as many as 14 on a Whitlow triple at the 8:50 mark.

Leading 31-17 after a Nickson three-pointer, the Eagles saw their two-touchdown advantage shrink to just one possession at the break as the Spartans went on a 21-10 run over the final six minutes, led by Jesse White, who finished the first half with 13 points, including back-to-back treys for the final six points of the Tampa first half, as ERAU took a 41-38 lead into the break.

Both teams came out of the locker room hitting shots, and the Spartans briefly took a 51-49 lead on a White jumper before Simpson answered with a layup. Neither team led by more than a possession until Murray made it 62-58 around the 10-minute mark with a layup following an offensive rebound from Michael McCalister. The preceded a 6-0 Spartan run that gave them the 64-62 lead before the home team turned things up on both ends over the final minutes of the game for the 15-point win.

Whitlow finished with 24 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals, with Murray adding 22 points, eight boards, and two assists. Simpson's 14 points and 10 rebounds gave him his first double-double as an Eagle, and Alessandro came off the bench to also reach double-figures with 12 points. Nickson finished with a season-high seven assists for the Blue and Gold.

The Eagles head to Miami Shores on Wednesday, Jan. 25 for a date with Barry. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.

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The 2022-23 Embry-Riddle Men's Basketball season is presented by Daytona Kia.