WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Eastern University Men's Basketball scored the first nine points of the game and never trailed in an 83-70 win at Wilkes University. The Eagles (8-7, 3-1 MAC Freedom) built a 20-6 lead six minutes into the game and never allowed the host Colonels to close the gap to single-digits.

Shaquan Turk led the Eagles with 18 points and ten rebounds, but the standout forward was the last Eastern starter to score.

Austin Duncan started the Eagles off with a three-point play. Lincoln Holley then stole an offensive rebound and put home the rebound. On the next possession, Holley found Victor Peña on an inside hoop. Turk then found Austin Carroll in transition for a 9-0 lead.

Wiilkes (7-8, 1-3 MAC Freedom) scored inside, but Duncan answered immediately and Carroll hit his first of three 3-pointers to push the Eastern lead to 14-2. Turk finally scored his first points to put the Eagles up 18-6. The Eastern offense slowed a bit, but the defense held, and the lead grew to 31-9 with four minutes to play in the half.

Wilkes closed out the half on a 14-4 run, but the Eagles remained in control with a  37-25 lead.

"We did a good job switching things up and keeping them off balance," Head Coach Eric McNelley said of his team's defense in the first half. "We got our hands on a lot of passes to disrupt their shooters, and we were able to get out in transition and play from ahead."

The Eagles shot 53.8 recent front he floor in the first half and made only 1-of-5 3-pointers. Wilkes was 9-of-25 from the floor.

Wilkes trimmed the Eastern lead to 39-29 early in the second half, but Peña scored inside while being fouled. Holley grabbed the offensive rebound on Peña's missed free throw and Carroll scored inside again.

Moments later Turk found Duncan on the wing for an open 3-pointer, and the Eagles again held a comfortable 17-point edge. Wilkes made one more push to cut the Eastern lead to 51-41, but Carroll drained another 3-pointer to start another Eastern run.

Eastern made 5-of-9 second-half 3-pointers including a pair of transition shots from Austin James to help build the lead to 25.

"Those two 3-pointers from [Austin] James were big." McNelley added. "We are a better team when he is shooting with confidence."

Carroll scored his 15 points on only 7 shots from the floor. Duncan was 5-of-9 from the floor and a perfect 3-for-3 from the line for 14 points. James, Marquise Peel, and Abraham Kurnick each scored six points off the bench. The three were 8-for-9 from the floor.

McNelley was pleased with his team's offensive balance and defensive intensity to start both halves, but was somewhat disappointed to see 20+ point leads dissipate late in each half.

"We need to work on closing out halves better," McNelley added. "We need to learn how to better manage the game when we have a lead."

The Eagles host FDU-Florham on Wednesday at eight. The Devils, who beat DeSales this afternoon, have also won three-consecutive league games.