UNION, N.J. – Eastern University Women's Basketball needed a spectacular second-half performance from Emily Lavin to beat the College of Staten Island 94-86. Lavin scored 29 of her career-high 33 points in the final 20 minutes. The standout center added 10 rebounds and seven blocks to help her squad to bounce back from the team's first loss the night before.

Lavin blocked the first Dolphin shot of the game and scored the first basket for the Eagles, but it was the play of Taylor Azer that kept the Eagles in the game early. With CSI defenders clogging up the middle and keeping Lavin from the ball, Azer connected for 14 points in the first half. The sophomore guard made 4-of-7 from 3-point range. Reggie Robinson added eight points off the bench, and the Eagles held a slim 34-33 lead at intermission.

Lavin scored four baskets in the third period, but the Dolphins seemed to match Eastern basket-for-basket. Azer and Ashley Kurdoliazek made 3-pointers and Robinson had seven points, but the Eagles only outscored the Dolphins 23-21 and had a slim three point lead going into the fourth.

Up 57-54 at the end of the third quarter, the Eagles needed someone to step up.  Lavin put in a quarter for the ages. The Dolphins scored the first three points of the period. The Eagles then used a 21-7 burst to build a 14 point lead.  Lavin scored 15 of her 21 fourth-quarter points in the first four minutes and 11 seconds of the period. In the fourth, she was 10-for-10 from the field with six rebounds, two blocks, and an assist.

"Lavin is starting to come into her own." Head Coach Eric Houston said. "When she plays like this, the team will follow her lead, and we all play well. She did an outstanding job this weekend as well the team!" Lavin's 16-of-18 performance from the floor is not her highest single-game shooting percentage. She went 14-for-14 in a 30 point effort against Wilkes last year. She has three double-doubles in four games this season.   

While Houston lauded the performance of his junior center, he also pointed to a very solid effort from Azer and Robinson with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Sophomore guard Amber Anderson made all four of her field goal attempts for a career-best nine points, and Emily McPeak had nine assists in the game.

Taylor Price had 13 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Led by Lavin's great shooting effort, the Eagles shot 57 percent from the floor.

"The team wanted to play and get after it today," Houston concluded. "They felt yesterday was their game, and they let it get away. It felt great to bounce back and get this one."

Christina Pasaturo and Samantha Flick both scored 23 points to lead CSI.

Eastern (3-1) will host Messiah College on Tuesday evening at 7 pm.