WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The third time was the charm for the 16th-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles in their season series against Webber International as the Blue and Gold survived an overtime thriller with the Warriors, 79-78 to secure a spot in the championship game of the 2013 Sun Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Eagles (24-8) got just the second triple-double in Embry-Riddle program history from DeForest Carter en route to eliminating the Warriors (16-12) in the first semifinal contest on Monday evening on the campus of top-seeded Northwood. Steve Ridder, who coached in his 800
th game at Embry-Riddle, will bring his team to the 14
th conference title game in program history. The Eagles will take on NAIA No. 3 Northwood tomorrow at 7 p.m.
The Eagles needed all 22 of Carter’s team-high point total to come away with the win, despite leading by six points with under a minute left in the extra period. Trailing by one, the Warriors had the ball underneath the basket, but when Brian Pace got tied up by the Eagles’ Jason Powell with 1.1 on the clock, the possession arrow favored the Blue and Gold. A long pass to Daniel Kiesling on the in-bounds play led the freshman to an open area in the front court and the Lexington, Ky. Native dribbled out the clock to preserve the one-point victory.
Embry-Riddle jumped out to an early lead when Carter’s layup went through the hoop with 14:39 left in the first, giving the Eagles a 10-4 advantage, but the Warriors battled back on the offensive end and when Johnson Mesidor buried a three-pointer with 11:06 on the clock, the score was tied 13-13.
The Blue and Gold held a slim margin for the rest of the first half until Tyler Auerbacher made his first and only trey to give his team the lead, 27-26 with 4:45 left in the frame. The Eagles got a layup from Rico Saldana off a Carter assist with 62 seconds remaining, and neither team could muster another point as the Eagles took a 34-33 lead into the break.
It was the Warriors who looked to be in control to open the second half as they went on an 8-2 run to take a 43-46 lead when Michael Bonilla made a driving layup just three minutes into the period.
A 7-0 spurt by the Blue and Gold, capped by a Carter lay-in with 6:13 on the scoreboard gave the Eagles a 56-55 advantage, and the Eagles were able to push it to a four-point lead, but Pace quickly answered with two jumpers to knot the score at 59-59.
Daniel Mondragon hit back-to-back three-pointers with assists from Carter, but Jakeem Hill’s dunk with 2:01 would be the final time either team would score in regulation. Mondragon had a good look from the corner as time expired, but the ball circled the rim twice before popping out, sending the game to overtime.
Embry-Riddle scored the first four points in overtime, all free throw shots, to take a 69-65 lead with 3:54 left, and the Eagles increased their advantage to six when Carter made a pair from the charity stripe with 52 seconds remaining.
Mesidor’s trey with 31 seconds cut the lead to three, and Cesar Pastrana went just 1-for-2 at the free throw line before Pace hit a three-pointer to cut the Eagle lead to one at 79-78.
Powell went to the line with 13 seconds left to push the lead to three, but the sophomore was unable to do so, missing both free throws, giving the Warriors a chance to win, but Powell came through on the defensive end, tying Pace up and giving the Eagles’ possession with barely any time on the clock.
The Eagles shot 45 percent from the floor and 72 percent from the free throw line, outrebounding the Warriors 42-35.
Carter finished with 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, becoming the second Eagle (David Butler – 2011) to record a triple-double in program history. Pastrana scored 19 points and pulled down six boards, while Mondragon was the only other Eagle in double-figures with 10 points.