DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – In a back-and-forth contest with no lack of action, it was the Embry-Riddle men's basketball team that came away with an electric 95-89 victory over rival Flagler on Thursday at the ICI Center.
 
The Eagles (2-1) and Saints (3-1) battled to nearly a dead heat, each shooting 48.6-percent from the field, but ERAU's range (12-of-26) and points from the charity stripe (13-of-14) allowed them to soar into the win column. 
 
Dru Nickson continued his torrid start with a game-high 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-5 from deep. The senior guard also added to his timely shots with seven assists, three rebounds and a steal on the night at the point. Yassin Hussein was once again a dominant presence under the basket, connecting for 21 points, five rebounds, four assists, adding three blocks as well. 
 
Michael McCalister showed his versatility all evening on both ends of the court, registering 16 points, including a 4-for-5 night beyond the arc, nearly all coming at crucial moments in the game. Milan Skoric added four threes of his own, including a pair during the Eagles' 12-2 run to end the first half. He added three more freebies from the stripe to round out 15 points on the night, to go along with a pair of defensive rebounds. And Jerry Bracey also added to the well-rounded night with eight points and six rebounds (five defensive), adding three assists and a steal. Also picking up hard-earned minutes were Clarens Pierre (four rebounds and three blocks), Dawson Barr (three rebounds), Jack Klinger (two rebounds) and Logan Lewis.
 
In the first half, Bracey had a run after back-to-back layups, a big defensive board, and an assist on a McCalister three that put the Eagles up 17-9 early. A few minutes later, Jared Berry entered and joined the fun with an electric run of six points and an assist around the nine-minute mark that helped the Eagles extend their lead to 29-19. Berry ended the night as the only Eagle off the bench to score, registering 13 points, six rebounds and two assists. His quickness added a spark in meaningful moments in both halves.
 
With three minutes left in the opening frame, Flagler saw itself climbing back in, getting as close as two points on two occasions, before Skoric and Nickson turned the tide once again. After back-to-back Skoric trey's Nickson connected on one of his own to create a quick 9-0 run. After a pair of free throws for FC, Skoric was fouled on a shot behind the arc, and connected on all three free throws to give ERAU a 48-36 lead at the break. 
 
After FC opened with a make, Skoric tallied his 12th point in three game minutes, opening the Eagle scoring in the second with yet another deep ball to go up 51-38. From there, the Eagles maintained enough of a lead for some breathing room thanks to Hussein, Bracey II and Nickson layups, but a pair of threes from the Saints looked to make things interesting again. However, Nickson and Berry teamed up for the next 13 Eagle points as the clock ticked below eight minutes with the Eagles up 74-62.
 
Flagler refused to go down without a fight, though, cutting the lead in half with two quick threes. Hussein then had a run of four points before McCalister nailed home another three to extend the ERAU lead – again – to 10 points, 82-72 with 3:44 left. Along with that three, McCalister registered eight points, including another three-ball with 20 seconds left to seal the deal, putting the Eagles up for good. 
 
With the 95-89 victory, the Eagles, now 2-1, will continue their lengthy homestand of 10 consecutive games through December when Savannah State makes the trek to the ICI Center on Saturday night. 
 
The 2024-25 Embry-Riddle men's basketball season is presented by Daytona Kia.