DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Facing the No. 2 team in the nation, Sunshine State Conference leader Nova Southeastern, the Embry-Riddle men's basketball team fought to the end, but ultimately fell to the Sharks, 99-81. With the loss, ERAU moves to 14-8 (8-6 SSC) on the year with six regular season games remaining.
 
The Eagles came out strong and kept a torrid pace through the first half over NSU. Nine Eagles found the back of the net in the opening half, including Michael McCalister, who led the Blue & Gold with 15 points on the night, 11 of which came in the first 20 minutes. 
 
Coming off an incredible performance on Wednesday, scoring 41 points in a win over Florida Southern, Malcolm Whitlow opened things up for the Eagles with a deep three after NSU went up 4-0 early. McCalister then added his first bucket, giving ERAU a lead it wouldn't relinquish for awhile down the stretch. 
 
ERAU got out ahead by as much as eight points over No. 2 NSU. Cameron Shockley-Okeke and Dru Nickson went back-to-back with dunks, igniting an ICI Center Crowd of more than 800 people. 
 
Another incredible run put the Eagles ahead by more, when Danny Sully added the third dunk in just minutes, followed by a pair of Milan Skoric treys and a solid move by Jerry Bracey II to steal and take a fast break to the hoop. Just minutes later, Skoric nailed home his third three of the run, putting the Eagles up by 11, 31-20, with under nine minutes remaining. 
 
The Sharks stayed around, however, and chipped away at the lead, mixing a couple threes with a bevvy of free throws and jumpers to pull within two, 39-37, at the 4:35 mark. From there, Nova Southeastern used five trips to the line down the stretch to spur a run that gave them a precarious lead into the break, 51-48.
 
NSU went on a run to open the second half, but Sully worked his magic on the boards, eventually knocking home three consecutive layups, mixed with a pair of free throws from the stripe to put ERAU down just six, 68-62 at the 14:02 mark. Not long after, Whitlow would draw a tough foul, but convert on the shot and the and-one to make it a game at 74-70 with under 10 minutes left. 
 
But from there, the Sharks hit a pair of their own from the charity stripe to go up six, and never looked back. Utilizing wholesale subs frequently in both halves, NSU outlasted ERAU down the stretch, eventyally taking a final of 99-81.
 
The Eagles return to the hardcourt next week with a pair of road games, first at Rollins on Wednesday, then on the road at Saint Leo on Saturday. ERAU still holds a lane to host come SSC Tournament time. 
 
The 2023-24 Embry-Riddle men's basketball season is presented by Daytona Kia.