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1999-00 MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM |
| SPORT: |
Men's Basketball |
EVENT (If Applicable): |
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| YEAR (S): |
1999-00 |
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With the end of the regular season marred by three consecutive losses, many may have doubted the Eagles' chances in the postseason. The 1999-00 Embry-Riddle men’s basketball team led by head coach Steve Ridder was equal to the task, however, posting eight victories in a row to claim the national crown..
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The team was forced to battle for every single game in the Florida Sun Conference Tournament, winning the title by defeating its three opponents by an average margin of less than seven points.
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The automatic bid sent the Embry-Riddle squad into the national bracket, where they bested Dominican College (N.Y.), 74-58 in the opening round. The team then broke through the second round, which had proven to be its nemesis in the past, by edging Concordia (Ore.), 80-77. The round of eight was not as taxing, as the Embry-Riddle men cruised to a 75-52 win against Grand View (Iowa). Siena Heights had ousted the Eagles in the 1997 tournament, so the team's 92-80 win over the Michigan team in the final four was that much more rewarding.
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Though the Eagles may have been considered an upstart in the finals after earning a number eight seed in the bracket, they were far less of a shock than the hometown favorite and unseeded College of the Ozarks that had beaten the second seed by two to advance to the final. In front of a national television audience, the team realized its potential with a 75-63 decision against the Bobcats.
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Senior Jason Cruse earned first team All-America accolades after leading the Eagles on the championship run with 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Junior Kyle Mas was pegged as an honorable mention All-American, following a season of 14.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per outing. Freshman Harold Pierson (12.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg) garnered conference Freshman of the Year honors and sophomore Ryan Rothrock earned a spot on the NAIA national all-tournament team after quarterbacking the team to the crown with 12.0 points and 5.2 assists per game in the five-game stint.        Â
1999-00 Season Highlights
- Earned the program's fourth Florida Sun Conference Tournament title
- Jason Cruse was named a first team NAIA All-American
- Harold Pierson was named the Florida Sun Conference Freshman of the Year
- Ryan Rothrock earned a spot on the NAIA national tournament team
- Head Coach Steve Ridder was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year
