LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Embry-Riddle
men's basketball team opened the 2026-27 campaign in impressive fashion Friday afternoon, cruising to an 88-49 victory over Walla Walla at Quinn Coliseum. The Eagles never trailed, racing out to an early double-digit advantage and leading by as many as 42 points en route to the season-opening win.
Embry-Riddle set the tone immediately, scoring the game's first 14 points and holding Walla Walla scoreless for more than five minutes to start the contest. The Eagles carried a commanding 44-21 lead into halftime behind efficient shooting and a stifling defensive effort.
The Eagles continued to pour it on after the break, matching their first-half total with 44 second-half points while extending the advantage to 58-23 less than five minutes into the period. Embry-Riddle finished the afternoon shooting 50 percent (35-of-70) from the floor, out rebounding Walla Walla 50-31, and forcing 14 turnovers that led to 22 points. The Eagles also outscored the Wolves 42-22 in the paint and received 38 points from their bench.
Six Eagles reached double figures in the victory, led by Jacey Canalin, who scored 16 points on an efficient 7-for-10 shooting performance while adding seven rebounds and five assists. Peter Dress also tallied 16 points, knocking down four three-pointers, while Noah Gifft contributed 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and a block.
The Embry-Riddle bench provided plenty of production, with Trey Chemin, Noah Gloor, and Lex Clontz each scoring 11 points. Gloor was especially efficient, shooting 5-for-6 from the field, while Clontz added five rebounds and Chemin connected on all but two of his six field-goal attempts.
Defensively, the Eagles limited Walla Walla to just 32.8 percent shooting from the floor and 16.0 percent from beyond the arc, while collecting nine steals and two blocks. Christian Wells dished out four assists and grabbed four rebounds, while Conner Ivy contributed four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block off the bench.
Embry-Riddle improves to 1-0 on the season with the victory. The Eagles will take on Eastern Oregon tomorrow.
