PRESCOTT, Ariz. – Nick Hopkins scored a team-high 23 points, but Embry-Riddle shot 55 percent from the field to hand Hope International an 82-70 loss in Great Southwest Athletic Conference men's basketball action on Saturday from the Activity Center.

The Royals lost two straight games for the first time this season in falling to 15-4 overall and 5-2 in the GSAC. The host Eagles moved to 11-8 and 4-3 in conference play.

Hopkins made 9 of 14 shots and added a game-high nine rebounds to pace the Royals. HIU shot the ball well, hitting 50.0 (26 of 52) percent for the game, but the Eagles doubled the Royals up in terms of made three-pointers (10-5).

Aman Haynes added 13 points and Addy G'Bye had 11. Darvelle Wyatt also reached double figures with 10 points while adding five rebounds and a pair of steals.

Peter Dress led the Eagles with 27 points on 11 of 17 shooting, including 5 of 9 from three-point range. ERAU made 29 of 53 from the floor, including 10 of 28 from distance.

The Royals battled in a back-and-forth first half affair, grabbing their first lead at 13-12 on a CJ Fisher layup. Hopkins scored four straight to increase the HIU lead to 17-12, but an 8-0 ERAU run put the hosts back in front. The run eventually became 14-3 as a Noah Gifft three-pointer made it 26-20. 

The Royals chipped away and Darvelle Wyatt tied the game at 33-33 on a triple with 2:32 remaining. ERAU hit two free throws before the half to head into the locker room with a 35-33 lead.

To start the second half ERAU utilized a 13-4 run to open up a 48-39 lead as Dress scored seven points in that span.

The Royals chopped that deficit to 48-44, but a 9-0 ERAU burst opened up a 57-44 lead at the 11:39 mark.

HIU got as close as 75-70 as G'Bye got fouled on a three-point attempt, and knocked down all three free throws with 1:25 to go. However, the Royals did not score again, while the Eagles made 6 of 7 free throws to secure the outcome.

The Royals return to action on Saturday, January 24, hosting Park Gilbert at 2:00 p.m.