ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Men's basketball had four players scored in double-figures and made 24-of-28 free throws to beat the visiting Albright College Lions, 73-67, in a non-league game heading into the Thanksgiving break. Austin Duncan and Austin James each had 15 points to lead the Eagles (1-2) in their first win of the year.

Eastern trailed by six with two-and-a-half minutes to play in the first half and Shaquan turk on the bench with three fouls. Marquise Peel hit an eight-footer to cut the deficit to 33-29. Austin Duncan and Austin Carroll each made a pair of free throws and the Eastern defense kept the Lions off the board to head into the locker room tied at 33-33.

"That stretch at the end of the first half was good for us," Head Coach Eric McNelley said after the game. "They had made a little push, and we stepped up, made stops, and scored a few points."

Duncan had 12 first-half points to lead the Eagles. Dejuan Smith had 12 to lead Albright.

Turk scored the first seven Eastern points in the second half and the Eagles built a 43-37 lead when Carroll converted a three-point play. Albright, however, answered with a 6-0 run from Smith to tie the game at 43-43. Albright's junior guard would finish with a game-high 32 points.  

James sparked an 11-0 Eastern run with a long 3-pointer from the left side. Peel had a three-point play, an offensive rebound and an assist in the run.

"Marquise was a huge spark for us," McNelley said. "He provided us with energy. His effort changed the tide of the game in our direction. He took three charges, kept the ball alive on the glass, and did a great job keeping his game simple on the offensive end. He was a  difference-maker tonight." Peel finished with nine points, seven rebounds, an assist, a blocked shot, and a steal in 17 minutes. He made both the shots he took.

The 11-point lead would not last long. Albright fought back to tie the game at 58-58 with five and a half minutes to play, and they had a shot to take the lead. Carroll grabbed the missed 3-pointer and pushed the ball on the break. It looked as though he was stopped in transition, but the senior guard saw an opening for a strong step-through move and a reverse lay-up to put the Eagles in front for good. Eastern made 11-of-14 free throws down the stretch to seal the game.  

"We have been good at the line every game this year," McNelley stated. "We did a better job getting there tonight. It is a testament to the guys' effort. We made people guard us and we worked to establish a post-presence. We did a better job of being strong with the ball and staying under control."

The Eagles held Albright's top scorer, Omari Ringgold, to two points, but Smith, who came into the game averaging 6.3 points per game finished with 32 and Brandon Lindsay who also averaged 6.3 points per game had 18.

Turk scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half. Carroll finished with 12 points.

McNelley and his staff look forward to a short break before heading to Goucher for another non-league test next Tuesday.

"We made a good step forward today," McNelley concluded. "We still have some work to do, but it is good to get a win."