The Eastern University men's basketball program honored one of Eastern's all-time great teams at halftime of today's home game against Manhattanville College. The current Eastern group then put together a defensive performance for the ages as they held the visiting Valiants to ten points over the first ten minutes of the second half to forge a 23 point lead and seize control of the game

The Eagles used a career-best 20 points and ten rebounds from center Don Kaiser and forced their visitors into 21 turnovers on their way to a 73-58 win. They shot 50% from the field while Manhattanville hit just 37% of their shots.

The Eagles set the tone for the game in the first half as they looked inside to Kaiser and were able to create solid scoring chances off their defense. Kaiser was just one point off his previous career best with 10 points at halftime. Manhattanville did not score their tenth point of the game until after 13 minutes had elapsed.

Head Coach Matt Nadelhoffer said of his team's defensive effort, "We played really well on the defensive end of the floor this afternoon, but a big part of it was the way we handled ourselves on the other end of the floor. They are a very good defensive team, but unlike the first time we played them, we did not allow their physical presence to force us into bad shots or bad turnovers." Nadelhoffer continued, "Don Kaiser rose to the challenge today. We needed someone to step up, and he really did."

Kaiser, the Eagles' starting post player, entered the game with a  2.6 point per game scoring average and is primarily responsible for defending in the post. The 6-7 sophomore scored Eastern's first six points of the game and finished the day 6-9 from the field and 8-12 from the foul line.

Sophomore guard Derek Wright, who was out with injury the first time the two teams met, scored three first half baskets as the Eagles forged a 28-20 lead at the break. Angelo LaRoche led Manhattanville with 8 first half points.

The two teams traded points early in the second half, and the Eastern lead shrunk to 33-25 on a Wesly Wicks jumper just over two minutes into the period. Tyrik Tucker then connected on his first collegiate three-pointer as the shot clock expired to spark the home team to an 11-0 run that would prove to be the difference in the game. Martin Soaries connected from distance on the only other three point attempt of the half for the Eagles on the next possession. Nadelhoffer said of that moment, "Tyrik's three was really important. We are learning to choose our spots well for shooting threes, and for us to be 3-6 from there for the game indicates that we aren't forcing things and that we are patiently working for quality looks."

The Eagles would twice extend their advantage to 23 points,--the second time on a dunk from Tucker with four minutes to play--before the Valiants closed the gap slightly as the game wound down.

Tucker finished the day with 14 points and eight rebounds, and Derek Wright and Jason Reels each finished with 13. Trevoy Pointer led the Valiants with 14.

Nadelhoffer summed up the day saying, "It was so great for us to have those guys (the 1988 team) back in the building. As I've had the chance to get to know Coach Ware, this has been something we've been trying to do. I am really glad that our current players had the opportunity to get to meet those guys. More than that, I am really pleased that our guys played with the heart and intensity and discipline that we try to develop in the program. That we won, well that was good too."

Earlier in the year, the Valiants beat Eastern 66-36 in the league opener for both teams. Today's win lifts the Eagles into a third place tie in the Freedom Conference. The Eagles will have no time for nostalgia as they encounter a pair of challenging road games against former PAC foes next week. They travel to Alvernia on Wednesday and up to Misericordia on Saturday.

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