DALLAS, Pa.--Eastern University Women's Basketball is off to a 5-1 start in the Freedom Conference for the second season in a row after knocking down the Misericordia University Cougars 74-49 on Saturday afternoon.

For the first time in the program's NCAA history, Eastern Women's Basketball earned a win on the road at Misericordia.

Eastern senior forward Meghan Nowak scored 20 points in 26 minutes on 9-of-14 shooting (64.3 percent). She also picked up six rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. Altogether, the Eagles tallied six blocks in the win. Emily Lavin contributed three of those rejections. She scored 16 points and collected seven rebounds all in the first half alone. She shot 8-for-11 from the floor (72.7 percent).

Senior guard Gina DiDomenico scored 13 points and dealt out five assists. She had an impressive succession in the 2nd half where she blocked a Misericordia shot, grabbed a defensive rebound and then came down the court and knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing all within 18 seconds.

Misericordia's Lauren Smicherko scored a team-high 14 points and had 10 rebounds. The Cougars never led in the contest.

Eastern took a double-digit lead on an "and-one" layup by Nowak with 13:41 left in the first half that put Eastern up 16-4. The Eagles' lead wouldn't surpass 12 in the first half. Lavin sent the Eagles into the half up 11 after grabbing an offensive rebound and barely the putback to fall before the clock expired.

Eastern broke the game open in the second half, taking a 20-point lead with 11:34 to play on a 3-pointer by DiDomenico. The Eagles kept a lead of 20 points or more the rest of the game.

Eastern overall shot 48.3 percent from the floor and held Misericordia to 30.4 percent.

Misericordia is still looking for its first win this season. The Cougars dropped to 0-17 (0-6 Freedom) with the loss. Eastern improved to 13-4. The Eagles' tour of the Freedom Conference reaches the halfway point on Wednesday when they host DeSales University at 6 p.m.

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