DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Facing a near insurmountable 21-point deficit against the No. 21 team in the country, the Embry-Riddle men's basketball team erupted for a 97-90 victory over Florida Southern on Wednesday night, thanks in no small part to Malcolm Whitlow's career-high 41 points.
 
The resurgent win marked the second-largest comeback in program history, and the largest in the NCAA II era. Whitlow's 41 points ranks as the second-most ever scored by an Eagle in any game, and it was just the third time ever a member of the Blue & Gold reached the 40-point plateau. The senior guard went off in the second half particularly, notching 30 points in the final 20 minutes alone, including 19 points in the final six minutes.
 
To boot, Whitlow went 12-for-12 at the free throw line, the second-most free throws made with a perfect percentage in school history as well. In total, the Eagles knocked home an astounding 29-of-33 free throws for an 87.9-percent mark.
 
In 37 minutes of action, Whitlow went 12-for-23 from the field, including 5-of-10 from behind the arc to spur the Eagles to victory. He collected three rebounds, a pair each of assists and steals to cap the evening ledger. 
 
Finding themselves down 11 at half, 52-41, the Eagles were backed into a corner when FSC tore open on a 14-6 run to go up the 21 points at the 15:43 mark, 68-47. Slowly but surely ERAU found its way back into the game, chipping away on nearly every possession.
 
Dru Nickson's steal and subsequent fastbreak layup turned into an and-one with a free point at the charity stripe. Then after a Whitlow rebound, Jerry Bracey II came up with a layup to make it a 14-point deficit.
 
Nickson would finish the night with 16 points, 14 of which came in the second half. 
 
A pair of free throws for Nickson (who finished 9-of-9 from the line as well) fell at 14:04, the run was on. Whitlow spurred a 23-5 run for the Blue & Gold in a span of five minutes, sinking six free shots at the line sandwiched between a hard-working layup, while Nickson added a long-ranged trey as well.
 
Down just three points, 73-70 with under 10 minutes to go, the Eagles dug deep. FSC was able to get a dunk and a layup to extend their lead, but Jon Alessandro, who played extremely important minutes off the bench, knocked home another pair of free throws to lessen the blow and move the needle back to a three-point deficit.
 
Milan Skoric added another point from the charity stripe to pull within two, and then Whitlow went unconscious. From that point, he tallied 19 points in the final six minutes to help take the lead and hold it. After he collected his own rebound and put back the second-chance bucket, Whitlow nailed three more big-time triples, none of which even thought about touching the rim on their way down.

The Eagle defense was stellar in the final 20 minutes as well. FSC scored 38 points in the second half, including just three total points in a four-minute stretch in the middle of the frame. The Mocs registered just two made baskets in the game's final 3 minutes as well, thanks to a stout ERAU defense which came to play.
 
After the upset win, the Eagles (14-7, 8-5 SSC) remain in the running for a possibility to host come Sunshine State Conference Tournament action. But another tough SSC foe comes to town as No. 2 Nova Southeastern visits the ICI Center on Saturday.
 
 
 
The 2023-24 Embry-Riddle men's basketball season is presented by Daytona Kia.