WINTER PARK, Fla. – In a physical and aggressive battle between two Sunshine State Conference foes, it was the Embry-Riddle men's basketball team that came away with a dominating 94-81 win over Rollins on Wednesday night. 
 
The Eagles (15-8, 9-6 SSC) put together a blue-collar effort on the night, collectively combining for 39 rebounds (17 offensive and 22 defensive) to go along with 15 steals and 18 assists to only 10 turnovers. 
 
Malcolm Whitlow and Dru Nickson worked as a threatening duo offensively, Whitlow with 23 points and Nickson with 20, while Danny Sully was massive on the boards and in the paint with 16 points and 10 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the year, to go along with a season-high six blocks. Nickson was crucial defensively as well, collecting a season-best seven steals.
 
Rollins got off to a quick start, racing out to a 9-4 lead within the first couple of minutes. The lead stayed at five until Nickson cand Whitlow went back-to-back threes for the first lead of the night, 12-11 at the 15:56 mark.
 
After Rollins went on a 7-0 run, the Eagles changed the pace with a great display of patience. After Sully forced a turnover on the defensive end, instead of a fastbreak, the Eagles opted to play their game. After a tough look from Nickson from the wing, Sully grabbed a rebound, kicking it to Cameron Shockley-Okeke who gave ERAU an 18-17 lead.
 
From there, Rollins go hot again, but Jon Alessandro fired in a three pointer to cut the lead to four, before Milan Skoric stopped another Tars momentum swing with a three of his own. Shortly after, Jerry Bracey II went up and under in style to draw the Eagles even closer. Whitlow knocked home a redemption three off a Bracey II rebound to give ERAU a 37-36 lead with under seven minutes to play in the first. Bracey II put in work getting offensive rebounds left and right off the bench for the Eagles, collecting seven rebounds to go along with his crucial 10 points offensively.
 
With just under two minutes left, Shockley-Okeke fed an inbounds pass to Nickson who immediately put the Eagles up, 46-45, with a shot from the elbow to allow the Eagles to head to the break up by one, after a Michael McCalister free throw and Rollins three-pointer rounded out the scoring for the half. Shockley-Okeke's night included 10 points, four rebounds and two assists and a massive dunk on the front end of a back-to-back dunk spree with Nickson in the second half. McCalister worked hard on the glass all night, collecting eight boards to go along with his seven points.
 
Whitlow got things started off in the second half with a deep three just 15 seconds into the period. From there, the Eagles enjoyed a 13-0 run to jump ahead, 68-51 at the 14 minute mark. The cherry on top of the run were the last four points, as Shockley-Okeke and Nickson had an elevation contest with back-to-back slams, forcing a Rollins timeout.
 
After going up 16, the Tars started to turn the tide, eventually cutting the lead to 74-71 at the 8:45 mark, thanks to a three-minute scoring drought from the visiting Eagles. But Sully collected a rebound and put back a second-chance bucket to stem the Tars' run. Second-chance points were a theme of the night for ERAU, which put together 26 points in second-opportunity scenarios, to go along with 33 points off turnovers.
 
After Sully's bucket, the Eagles never led by fewer than five points, amassing 11 points from free throws down the stretch after Rollins' top two scorers fouled out. For good measure, Whitlow added a trey to seal the deal at the end, giving the Blue & Gold its 15^th victory of the season, 94-81.
 
Up next for the Eagles is a trip to Saint Leo on Saturday night.