READING, Pa.– A shorthanded Eastern University men's basketball team picked up a 76-64 road win over the previously unbeaten Albright College Lions in the final game before the Thanksgiving Break. Led by a career-high 27 points from Victor Peña and 18 from Jordan Johnson, the Eagles controlled the inside to earn their first win of the young season.

The Eagles started the game on a 17-4 run. Peña set the tone with a put-back effort to tie the game at 2-2. The Eagles scored six lay-ups a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer in forging the early lead.

The critical run of the the game, however, came in the final five minutes. The host Lions (3-1) had grabbed the lead 62-61. Peña scored seven-consecutive points on three possessions to spark a 15-2 run over the final minutes of the game. After Peña's burst, which included a pair of inside hoops and his second 3-pointer of the game, the Eagles made all eight free throw attempts down the stretch to seal the win. Anthony Concepcion was 4-for-4, adn Darius Washington and Clifton Adams each made a pair. The Eagles were 19-of-20 from the line for the game.

"This was a much-needed team win," Head Coach Eric McNelley said after the game. "[We were] playing without three rotation players tonight. We wanted to emphasize our post play and establish an inside presence. Victor and Jordan were a load to handle and we got great bench play from [Marquise] Peel and [Brennan] Kastens."

After a taking a couple injuries at Lehigh on Sunday, the Eagles were going to have to have a different stating group, and McNelley made the choice to insert Austin Duncan into the starting lineup along with Johnson and Washington. Duncan, who McNelley said had struggled to find a rhythm in the first games of the year, finished with 12 points, three rebounds, three steals, and three blocks in 32 minutes of action. Two of those rebounds came in the final five minutes. Duncan did his damage on only seven shots. As a team, the Eagles hit only 5-of-23 from behind the arc, but the team made 21-of-30 two-point shots.

Eastern led 35-26 at halftime. Peña had 11 points and 10 rebounds and Johsnon was 6-of-6 from the floor to lead all scorers with 12 points at the break.

The hosts put together a 10-2 run early in the second half and claimed the lead at 49-48. With the Eagles earning inside baskets, Albright led by one five times but was never able to build on that lead before Peña started the decisive final run.

Peña and Johson combined for 19-of-25 shooting. Austin James made a pair of 3-pointers off the bench and Washington finished with five. Fred Rowles led Albright with 18 points. Eastern held the Lions to 40 percent shooting for the game.

Eastern will host Goucher College next Wednesday at 8 pm and then will play a pair of games in upstate New York against Hamilton and Morrisville State the following weekend.

"We scheduled to prepare for our league," McNelley said, "We knew this was going to be a tough stretch of games and to come in here against their talented perimeter players and earn a win is big for our team. They presented a lot of challenges for our guards, and I was pleased with the way we responded and stuck to the plan. This was a great team win.