LAKELAND, Florida - The Embry-Riddle men's basketball team got its biggest win of the 2022-23 season on Tuesday night in the first round of the Sunshine State Conference Tournament, downing third-seeded Florida Southern 96-88 at Jenkins Field House to earn the right to host seventh-seeded Rollins on Thursday, March 2 in the ICI Center. The Eagles (18-10) snapped a three-game skid to end the regular season with the win over the Mocs (19-9), just 10 days after dropping a 98-75 decision to FSC in Lakeland. The win marked the Eagles' first over Florida Southern on the road since 2016, and the first No. 6 seed to beat a No. 3 seed in the SSC Tournament since 2016.

ERAU will look to exact some more revenge when they host the Tars on Thursday after RC beat second-seeded Saint Leo on the road 76-66. The Tars stunned ERAU in the Eagles' final home game of the regular season last Wednesday, 78-74.

Tuesday's game was truly the tale of two periods as the visitors exploded for 62 points in the opening 20 minutes, connecting on 12 three-pointers (the Eagles' season-high entering the game was 11) en route to a 62-43 halftime lead. However, the Mocs stormed back in the second, outscoring the Eagles by 11, and cutting the Eagle lead to one possession on several occassions late in the game, but timely stops and free throw shooting down the stretch kept the Eagles in front and allowed the Blue and Gold to advance to the SSC Semifinals for the second straight season.

Malcolm Whitlow had a career night for the Eagles, scoring 30 points, including 21 in the first half, to pace the Eagle scoring effort. Whitlow connected on seven of ERAU's 14 treys, his most as a member of the Blue and Gold, while Dru Nickson added in 19 points, including three three-pointers, and a perfect 10-for-10 effort at the charity stripe, all coming in the last 60 seconds of the contest.

Florida Southern scored four of the game's first seven points, but once Nikola Jerotic hit a jumper in the paint to give the Eagles a 5-4 lead, the visitors never trailed again. Chris Murray and Whitlow scored five straight points for ERAU to put them in 14-6 with 16 minutes left in the first, and then the Eagles went on a quick 8-0 spurt that included two Nickson three-pointers, to increase the lead to 24-13 just a few minutes later.

The Mocs got the deficit down to six several times, the last of which was at 29-23 with 11 minutes on the clock, but the Eagles had an answer, firing off seven quick points to push their advantage back to double-digits and then some.

Up 10 at the 7:42 mark, Whitlow's three-pointer sparked a 23-14 run for Embry-Riddle to end the half in which all three of ERAU's last three field goals came from beyond the arc, and the visitors enjoyed a 19-point cushion at the break.

Coming out of the intermission it looked like the Eagles' hot shooting ways from the first (55%) would continue when Whitlow hit the first shot of the half, a three-pointer, to put ERAU up by 22. But it wouldn't be quite that easy. Neither team could hit many shots in the first few minutes of the second, but the hosts were able to get the lead down to 68-55 with 12 minutes left, thanks in large parts to free throws.

A Michael McCalister layup gave the Eagles the win in the race to 70 (70-57), but a Jadin Booth three cut the lead to 10, and then a turnover and breakaway dunk got the Mocs to within single-digits.

Murray scored the next four points, and Jon Alessandro followed with a jumper to put the Eagles back up by 14 at the 8:41 mark, but the Mocs had their biggest run of the night coming up. FSC, down 76-62, scored the next 11 points as the Eagles kept turning the ball over.

With the Eagle lead down to 76-73, Booth had a three that would have tied it, but it was just off the mark, and Wesley Simpson grabbed the rebound. Simpson made a layup to give the Eagles a little separation, and following two straight missed three-pointers, Whitlow made a pair of free throws and Simpson made the biggest shot of the night, a corner three to push the advantage to 83-73 with just under four to play.

The Mocs had one final run in them, scoring seven straight to make it 83-80 with two minutes left, and again the home team had a three-pointer that would have tied it, but it rimmed out. Alessandro went 1-for-2 at the line and the Mocs missed another trey on their next possession. Nickson proceeded to go a perfect 10-for-10 at the free throw line over the final minute, closing the game out at the line as the Eagles prevailed 96-88.

Alessandro joined Whitlow and Nickson in double-figures with 15 points, while Murray nearly had a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Embry-Riddle converted 16 FSC turnovers into 26 points, and out-rebounded the Mocs 40-37 on the night.

The Eagles and Tars will be the first 6/7 matchup in the SSC Tournament Semifinals since 2000. Tip is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 2 in the ICI Center. 

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