MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY: #5/6 Eckerd at Embry-Riddle

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - After reaching new heights in the NCAA Division II national rankings this week, the Eckerd men's basketball team travels to face a future conference foe taking on Embry-Riddle at 7:30 PM.

WHAT: Eckerd Tritons (16-1, 8-0 SSC) at Embry-Riddle (10-5)
WHERE: ICI Center; Daytona Beach, Fla.
WATCH: Live Stats | Live Video

ABOUT THE EAGLES
- Embry-Riddle is in its second year of transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II.  The Eagles were a perennial national power in NAIA D-II, winning a national championship in 2000.  In all, they won 11 conference titles and made 15 trips to the national tournament while a member of the NAIA.
- ERAU is currently a provisional member of the Sunshine State Conference and is playing a full conference schedule, though none of the games count toward the standings.  The Eagles are 4-5 thus far against SSC opponents but enter tonight's game having dropped four of their last five.
- Like most teams in the Sunshine State Conference, Embry-Riddle features a high-scoring offense averaging 90.9 points per game.  The Eagles have scored 100 or more points four times this season.  Six players average in double-figures in scoring, led by Ognjen Miljkovic at 17.9 points per game.  Miljkovic is in his first season at ERAU after transferring from Eastern Washington.
- Reed Ridder, son of longtime ERAU head coach Steve Ridder, is second on the team in scoring averaging 15.8 points per game.  He leads the Eagles in 3-pointers made (39) and steals (25).

ABOUT THE TRITONS
- Eckerd rose to No. 5 in the NABC Coaches Poll this week, the highest ranking in program history in any poll.  The Tritons stayed at No. 6 in the D2SIDA Media Poll.
- On Saturday, Eckerd extended its winning streak to 16 games.  It is now the longest current winning streak in D-II and tied for the longest of the season.  The Tritons defeated then-No. 23 Barry, 90-74, to stay perfect in SSC play.
- The Tritons continue to rank among the best in the nation in defense.  They enter tonight's game ranked 32nd in the nation in opponent scoring average (68.5 points per game) and opponent field goal percentage (40.7 percent).  Eckerd is also one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the nation, ranking 12th at 41.4 percent from behind the arc.
- Four Tritons average in double-figures led by Jerrick Stevenson's 13.5 points per game.  Stevenson scored a season-high 25 points on Saturday and was named the SSC Player of the Week.  Kevin Walsh (11.4), Drushaun McLaurn (11.3) and Trevon Young (10.2) also score better than 10 points per game.  Walsh has knocked down 42 3-pointers this season while shooting 47.2 percent on his attempts.