Embry-Riddle mounted a furious second-half comeback but came up just short in an 86-83 loss to Arizona Christian on Saturday night in the Activity Center.

The Eagles trailed by 11 at halftime after a slow start, but stormed back with a 51-point second half, nearly erasing a 14-point deficit. Matur Dhal sparked the rally with a perfect 7-for-7 shooting performance in the second half, finishing with 14 points and two rebounds. Noah Gifft added 14 points and a team-high four steals, while Jacey Canalin chipped in 14 points and six assists.

Peter Dress led ERAU with 10 rebounds and Ethan Macken added 14 points for the Eagles off the bench.

Embry-Riddle shot an impressive 66.7% from the field after the break and 60% from three-point range, outscoring the Firestorm 51-43 in the final 20 minutes. The Eagles dominated the paint with 46 points inside and got strong contributions from the bench, which scored 24 points.

ERAU will head to Florida next to take on Southeastern on Saturday with tip off scheduled for 12pm AZ time.