FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Facing as tough a road test as any – squaring off with the defending national champion and undefeated Nova Southeastern – the Embry Riddle men's basketball team fell to the No. 1 Sharks on Saturday, 94-79. The loss moves ERAU to 7-4, 1-2 in Sunshine State Conference play.
 
Malcolm Whitlow led the charge with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting with five assists, while Dru Nickson added 17 points and Jon Alessandro notched 12 points and four boards. Once again, Danny Sully was solid on the defensive end with three blocks and five rebounds to pair with his four points. Cameron Shockley-Okeke added seven points in 12 minutes of action.
 
ERAU shot 51-percent from the field on the day, topping NSU's 46-percent, and went 16-for-17 at the free throw line, but foul trouble and a season-high of 30 turnovers kept the Eagles out of the mix, especially on both ends surrounding halftime.
 
Embry-Riddle started the game on a tear offensively, knocking down 10 of their first 11 shots, including 4-for-4 from behind the arc and 3-for-3 at the charity stripe. But a scoring drought of over two minutes that featured six turnovers allowed the Sharks to stay in the game early.
 
But after the hot start, ERAU cooled down and missed its next six shots and suffered some foul trouble heading into the break as the Sharks took a 45-38 lead into the locker rooms. Whitlow, Shockley-Okeke and Jerry Bracey II all had three fouls into the break, limiting the offensive scheme. 
 
NSU kicked it up a notch in the second half, outscoring the Eagles, 49-41 in the frame. Once again free throws and efficiency from three-point range allowed ERAU to stick around for some of the game, but the Sharks held the Eagles in check defensively, forcing multiple scoreless droughts of more than two minutes a piece.
 
Embry-Riddle is back in action on Jan. 3 with a trip to conference rival Tampa to open up the 2024 calendar. 
 
 
 
The 2023-24 Embry-Riddle men's basketball season is presented by Daytona Kia.