The Eastern University men's basketball team saw their winning streak snapped with a 61-44 loss at Misericordia. The Eagles shot a woeful 26% from the field and only earned 16 trips to the foul line for the game. The host Cougars held a nine point advantage at the break and made just enough free throws in the second half to hold their lead above six points for the entire game.

The Cougars led 26-11 with five minutes to play in the first half before the Eagles put together a six point run to close the gap . That momentum, however, was not enough to lift Eastern, as they struggled from the field in the second half as well.

Collin Whipple made a put-back basket to close the gap to five with just over eleven minutes to play, but the Cougars began to convert with more regularity on their trips to the line, and they pushed their edge back to ten.

Martin Soaries led the Eagles with 14 points, and Alex Nelson had 13. Dom Del Prete and Marcus Little each scored 12 to lead the Cougars.

The loss puts the Eagles in a three-way tie for second place with the Cougars and King's. The Monarchs dropped a 12 point decision at FDU-Florham this afternoon. As the only team to have beaten top-ranked DeSales, Eastern holds the tie-breaker with four games to play.

Eastern's final four games are against the four teams currently on the bottom half of the league standings. The Eagles host Wilkes on Wednesday night.