Malcolm Whitlow, 3-pointers power Embry-Riddle past Alabama Huntsville in DII tournament
Fifteen seconds into Saturday’s game against Alabama Huntsville, Cameron Shockley-Okeke hit a 3-pointer.
That was a sign of things to come for No. 5 Embry-Riddle (22-9).
The Eagles splashed in 18 threes, including 13 in the first half, to fly by the fourth-seeded Chargers 104-78 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament in Fort Lauderdale.
They will take on No. 1 Nova Southeastern in the South Region semifinals Sunday.
Senior Malcolm Whitlow spearheaded the long-range attack. He tied a school record by making 11 threes on 18 attempts. He converted his first seven deep shots in the first half and zipped to a game-high 35 points. His point total also represented a new postseason record for the program.
Shockley-Okeke, a graduate student, added five makes from behind the arc. He finished with 22 points. Senior Danny Sully didn’t hoist any 3-pointers, but he flirted with a double-double. His final line: 11 points and nine rebounds.
Overall, Embry-Riddle shot 52.8% from the floor. More than half of its field-goal attempts — 37 of 72 — were triples. Its percentage from distance was 48.6%.
Alabama Huntsville (21-11) shot 48.1% from the field and 37.1% from three-point land. It never held a lead.
At the 13:15 mark of the first half, the Eagles pushed their lead to 10 for the first time on a Shockley-Okeke jumper. Their advantage remained in the double digits for the rest of the contest.
Embry-Riddle entered halftime with a 60-32 lead.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Embry-Riddle loses in NCAA DII Tournament, closes one of best seasons in program history
In addition to its shooting brilliance, it dominated the battle on the glass, out-rebounding the Chargers 43-21.
This was the fourth time this season the Eagles reached 100 points. Their season high remains 105 against Saint Leo on Jan. 17.
Embry-Riddle dropped both its regular-season matchups against Nova Southeastern, a Sunshine State Conference rival and the defending national champion.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NCAA DII Tournament: Embry-Riddle flies past Alabama Huntsville
