ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa.- Eastern University Men's Basketball
(8-4) used a late rally to earn a 72-69 win at Elizabethtown College.
The Eagles, who trailed 60-55 with 3:24 to play, went on an 11-0 run to
grab control of the game.
Senior forward Alex Nelson led the
Eagles with a game-high 25 points, but it was Eastern's three senior
guards who left their mark in the last three minutes. Martin Soaries,
Collin Whipple, and Mike Donatoni combined for 15 of the team's final 17
points and were responsible for providing the defensive pressure that
made the difference.
Soaries, who scored 10 of his 15 points in
the final five minutes of action, started the run with a lay-up at the
3:09 mark. The Eastern defense then earned a stop. Soaries then set up
Whipple for a game-tying 3-pointer. Whipple finished the game with 13
points. After Donatoni made a pair of free throws, Soaries then
converted a lay-in and set up Nelson for another easy basket.
The
Young Blue Jays (4-8) regrouped and even cut the seven point deficit to
one with six seconds to play, but the Eastern guards made free throws
down the stretch to secure the win.
Etown led 29-24 at the half as
they held Eastern to 30% shooting. Will Schlosser scored nine of his
team-high 19 before the intermission to pace the hosts. Nelson had nine
to lead the Eagles.
Nelson scored 11 points in the first five
minutes of the second half to lift the Eagles toa 38-36 lead, but
Elizabethtown answered and gradually built a six-point lead that, given
the controlled pace of the game, seemed nearly insurmountable. The
Eagles finally broke through with the decisive run to start the calendar
year with a win.
The Eagles return to Freedom Conference action
with an important home test against Misericordia University on
Wednesday. That game, scheduled for 8:00 pm, is the second game of a
doubleheader with the women. As part of Eastern's Season of Impact, any
fan bringing a new or gently-used coat for donation to City Team
Ministries will be admitted to the game free of charge. Fans unable to
attend can follow the action on EagleVision or Live Stats.
