COLLEGEVILLE, Pa.– Eastern University Men's Basketball (5-2) held the host Ursinus College Bears (5-3) to 22 percent first-half shooting and held on for an impressive 81-65 win. Austin Carroll made 8-of-11 shots from the floor and recorded a career-best 20 points to lead the Eagles to their fifth-consecutive win.

"Austin [Carroll] and Anthony [Concepcion] were exceptional today," Head Coach Eric McNelly said after the game. "Our two point guards combined for 31 points and no turnovers. I was very pleased with our offensive execution as a team. That starts with really good point guard play."

The game, according to McNelley, was won at the defensive end of the floor in the first half. Five days ago, the Eagles won at Rowan in a game where possessions were plentiful. Heading into this game, the Eastern coaching staff tried to re-instill the importance of each possession.

The two teams traded baskets and empty possessions early, but the Eagles pieced together a 12-1 run over a four-minute stretch to pull away to a 21-9 lead with nine minutes left in the half. Austin Duncan made a 3-pointer to cap the run. The Eastern lead grew to 15 on consecutive 3-pointers from Concepcion, but the Bears closed the gap to 31-24 on a pair of free throws by Eric WIlliams Jr. with 1:43 to play in the half.

Carroll hit a 3-pointer to spark what would prove to be a decisive 13-0 run over the final 83 seconds. Shaquan Turk scored the next seven points and Austin James hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the 44-24 lead going into the locker room.

Eastern shot 43 percent from the floor and made 5-of-13 from long-range and 11-of-12 from the foul line. The Bears, meanwhile, made only 6-of-27 shots and only one 3-pointer in nine attempts. Turk had 11 to lead all scorers at the break.

With a 20 point halftime lead, the second-half strategy for the Eagles was about taking care of the ball and running good offense. Eastern did both. With Carroll and Concepcion at the point, the Eagles extended possessions and had just one second-half turnover. The Bears briefly closed the gap to 15 with five minutes left but never got closer.

Carroll, who had 10 at halftime, mirrored his first half total with 10 points after the break. Eight different Eastern players scored after halftime and Ursinus shot only two free throws in the second half.

Matt Knowles lead the Bears with a game-high 24 points. Zach Quattro fiinished with 15 and was the only other Bear to make more than two field goals. Turk finished with 18 and Concepcion had 11.

The five-game streak is the first for Eastern Men's Basketball since December of 2010. Since dropping the first two games of the year, the Eagles have won games where they have scored in the 70's, the 80's, the 90's, and the 100's. In four of those five wins, the Eagles held their opponents to 40 percent shooting or less.

"This was a great team win over a very good team," McNelley said. "I was really pleased with our defensive effort and execution today."

The Eagles will resume play after exams in Miami. Eastern will play Eastern Connecticut and No. 19 Susquehanna in the HoopMIA Division III Holiday Shootout.