RADNOR, Pa.- Eastern University and Cabrini College are separated by only a narrow stretch of road. While Cabrini's fans recognized their men's basketball team as 2012 National Runner-up in a ceremony before the game, Eastern fans recognized their team if they were holding a program.

Even with all the new faces, the young Eastern team competed in the rivalry game like like they belonged. The experienced Cavaliers ultimately used a 13-1 run midway through the second half to break open a one-point game on the way to an 80-66 win. Eastern sophomore Anthony Parenti led all scorers with 29 points.

The No. 10 Cavaliers jumped to a 9-4 lead early, but the Eagles, behind hot shooting from Parenti and senior guard Tyler Stowers went on a 14-4 run to lead 18-13 with twelve minutes to play in the half. Stowers scored all nine of his points in a five minute stretch.

Even after Stowers went to the bench with his second foul, the Eagles hung around. Cabrini scored six straight to take a 19-18 lead, but Parenti responded with a tough 12-footer from the wing. Cabrini grabbed a 23-20 lead, but Ben Conner answered with a 3-pointer. After the Cavaliers went up five, Malcolm Garrison buried a 3-pointer to keep the Eagles within a bucket with three and a half minutes to play.

After Garrison, a freshman from Baltimore, was called for playing defense on the wing and Cabrini's Fran Rafferty made a pair of free throws, Garrison hit another tough jumper to pull Eastern to within two at 30-28. Anthony Bertolino was fouled going to the basket and made a pair of free-throws to tie the game at 30 with 29 seconds left. When the Cavs scored a lay-in with nine seconds to play, it seemed that the Eagles would go in to the break within a basket. In pushing the ball up the floor Bertolino's dribble went off a Cabrini foot and right to Rafferty. The Cabrini senior made two more free throws for a 34-30 edge. Rafferty scored ten on his team-high 19 points from the line. He led all scorers at halftime with 11 points.

The Cavaliers built a seven point lead at the fifteen minute mark, but the Eagles responded with six straight points on an elbow jumper from Kevin Antol, a 15-footer from Parenti, and a pair of Tyler McGrath free throws. The more experienced Cabrini team then threw a run at the Eagles that gave them separation for good. Jeremy Knowles fueled the 13-1 run for Cabrini. The senior guard had four points, a blocked shot, two steals, and a rebound in the three minute stretch.

Cabrini stretched the lead to as many as 19, but Parenti and Garrison connected on three pointers and the Eagles forced turnovers to cut the Cabrini lead to eight points with two minutes to play. The Cavaliers made their free throws down the stretch to claim the Battle of Eagle Road for the fifth straight year.

Parenti made 10-of-16 from the floor with six 3-pointers. He has already eclipsed his production from his rookie year. His 39 points from last year made him the top returning scorer on this year's team.

The Eagles (1-2) will have a couple days off for the Holiday before returning to action at Hood on Saturday.

"This is an important time for us," Head Coach Nate Stewart said after the game, "we have to use these as opportunities to get ready for league play next week."