MADISON, N.J.--Eastern University Men's Basketball used a 13-0 run midway through the second half to take control of Wednesday night's Freedom Conference game against the FDU-Florham Devils.

The Eastern Eagles held the Devils without a field goal for eight-and-a-half minutes in the second half and claimed their first conference win of the year, 66-55.

Malcolm Garrison led the Eagles with 13 points, including a fastbreak dunk for the game's opening basket. He also had six rebounds and two blocks. Austin James added 12 points for the Eagles and eight boards.
All eight Eagles that saw playing time scored at least five points.

Three players had five rebounds and at least eight points: Jonathan Tolber (nine points), Austin Carroll (eight) and Shaquan Turk (eight). Turk threw down a rim-rattling dunk with 7:21 left in the game that emphasized the Eagles' scoring run.

The Eagles and Devils stayed neck-and-neck through the first half (with the lead changing hands seven times) despite Eastern shooting just 27.6 percent (8-for-29) from the floor. FDU-Florham shot just slightly better at 33.3 percent (9-for-27). The Devils held a tenuous three-point lead at the half, 27-24.

Eastern fell behind by six points when FDU hit a 3-pointer on its first possession after the break. FDU's lead stood at four points with 16:12 to go in the game, but then the Eagles put the Devils on ice. Eastern held FDU to three points, all free throws, over the next eight-plus minutes.

Jonathan Tolber ended the Eagles' own four-minute drought with a 3-pointer at 12:18. A layup and-one by Tolber gave Eastern the one-point lead at 11:46. After a Turk jumper near the elbow on the next possession, Tolber collected another and-one at 10:23 to make it a 44-38 game. James capped off Eastern's 13-0 run finishing a fastbreak layup sparked by a Carroll steal near half court.

The Eagles' lead reached 10 with a jumper by Garrison with 4:44 remaining. The Devils cut the gap to five points, 55-50, with 3:24 remaining, but the Eagles held on and hit 9-of-10 free throws down the stretch to seal the game.

Eastern had its second-best free-throw shooting game of the year, going 21-for-25 (84 percent). For the second time this season, the Eagles won the rebound battle, edging the Devils 40-39.

Eastern (5-9, 1-2 Freedom) looks for another conference win on Saturday. The Eagles will host King's College at 3 p.m.

Box Score