ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– The visiting York College Spartans (3-4) made 11-of-15 third quarter free throws to open up a lead and force a short-handed Eastern squad to shorten the minutes of several key players. Eastern hit 12-of-29 from behind the arc in the game, but the Eagles were unable to recover from the third quarter and fell, 77-69.
Jaelyn Harris hit 6-of-12 from behind the arc and finished with a game-high 23 points to lead the Eagles.
Eastern led 19-16 after one quarter, but a second foul early in the second quarter on senior forward
Regie Robinson put extra strain on Eastern's already short bench. Robinson finished the game with 15 points and nine rebounds, but the team's lone senior only played 25 cautious minutes.
With Robinson limited by foul trouble,
Jaelyn Harris picked up much of the scoring slack and the teams were tied at 32-32 at halftime. The first-year guard hit four 3-pointers for 12 first-half points.
The third quarter proved to be the problem for the Eagles. Both teams made seven field goals, but the Spartans went to the line. Eastern took only two free throws in the period. The damage might have been worse, but
Da'Naziah Brown connected twice from deep and the Eagles grabbed three offensive rebounds while not allowing any int he frame. Nonetheless, the Eagles trailed by ten at the end of the period.
Eastern cut the deficit to six points in the fourth but with several players in serious foul trouble, the Eagles were unable to extend more pressure to cut deeper into the lead. Brown finished the game with 17 point on 5-of-7 shooting from behind the arc. The sophomore guard also added six rebounds and ix assists.
"We have to keep getting better at the defensive end of the floor," Head Coach
Eric Houston said after the game. "We put ourselves in some spots where we committed fouls we should not have to commit. I was pleased that we kept fighting and that both Jaelynn and Da'Naziah shot the ball with confidence today. We can get better, and I know we will."
The Eagles will play at King's in their MAC Freedom opener on Wednesday night.
