Rollins Outlasts ERAU.

The Rollins Tars bounced back from a rare early season loss over the weekend, and picked up a 92-85 win over a short handed Embry Riddle team Wednesday night in front of a packed house at the ICI Center.  The Eagles only dressed nine players and seven saw a majority of the action. The Tars on the other hand, after losing to Morehouse in Atlanta playing just eight players went the other direction of ERAU. All 12 Tars who were available to play saw action Wednesday evening.
  Rollins (2-1) was paced by Sam Philpott who scored 18 of his team high 22 points in the second half- Eric Castaneda came off the bench and scored 18 points, including going 12 of 14 at the free throw line (all in the second stanza.)  Jeff Merton nailed four 3-pointer's en route to his 16 points- while Deion Clark rounded out the double digit scorers with 11 points.  The Tars shot 49 percent as a team in the victory. They shot 35 percent (6-17) from the 3-point line.  At the free throw line the Tars shot 76 percent (22-29.)  They had 21 assists and 11 turnovers.
  The Eagles fell to 2-1 on the season with the loss. They played without Florida transfer Dillon Graham (sick.)  and also are dealing with a couple of crucial injuries.  Dalton Barnes led ERAU with 26 points to go along with 15 rebounds- Skyler Hogan added 18 points to go with his 13 boards- Shaquan McArthur chipped in 15- while Brian Johnson netted 13.  The Eagles shot 39 percent as a team- they struggled from the 3-point line where they shot 26 percent (11-43-) and the free throw line where they shot 67 percent (14-21.)  The Eagles crushed Rollins in the rebounding battle 52-37.  They had 17 assists and 17 turnovers.
  The Eagles scored the first bucket of the game, before the Tars would tally the next five.  The Rollins lead would grow to six (17-11) at the 11:21 mark of the opening half. The Eagles would respond with a 8-0 run of their own to take the slim 19-17 lead at the 10:05 mark of the opening half. The next three minutes would see three ties, before a Merton 3-pointer would give the Tars a 27-24 lead at the 6:02 mark of the half.  The team's would trade baskets the rest of the first half. A Castaneda deep 3-pointer would give Rollins a 34-32 lead, but it was the Eagles who would take a 35-34 lead into the locker room after Bradley Mapes drilled a 3-pointer with six seconds left in the half.
  The second half would see the team's trade baskets for the first seven plus minutes. The game would be knotted at 52 with 12:24 to go.  The Tars would take the lead for good on a Jakobi Bonner basket at the 12:01 mark.  The Tars would start to pull away over the next 5+minutes and would take a 10 point lead (70-60) at the 6:30 mark.  Philpott gave the Tars the biggest lead they had on the night at 13 (82-69) at the 3:09 mark. The Eagles would not go quietly, as they would get to within five in the waning seconds but the Tars would seal it at the free throw line.
  Rollins will be back in action Friday when they take on Puerto Rico Mayaguez. Tip time at Warden Arena is set for 2 PM.
   Other SSC Scores:
Tampa 68 Puerto Rico Mayagüez 67
Florida Southern 97 Saint Leo 87
Barry 94 Lynn 68
Nova Southeastern 76 Palm Beach Atlantic 60
Florida Tech 86 Eckerd 84
Standings:
Barry 1-0 (2-0)
Nova Southeastern 1-0 (1-1)
Florida Tech 1-0 (2-2)
Florida Southern 1-0 (1-2)
Rollins 0-0 (2-1)
Tampa 0-0 (1-2)
Lynn 0-1 (1-1)
Eckerd 0-1 (1-2)
Saint Leo 0-1 (0-3)