WINCHESTER, Va.– Eastern University Men's Basketball shot 64 percent from the floor in the second and pulled away to an 86-69 win over the Knights of Southern Virginia University. Senior guard
Austin Duncan led the Eagles (7-3) with 25 points on 10-of-13 from the floor.
The Eagles, who trailed by eight with three and a half minutes left in the first half, scored the final five points of the half to close the gap to 42-39. Eastern finally pulled even at 49-49 on a
Michaiah Fraction 3-pointer two and a half minutes into the second half. Fraction scored 14 of his 18 points after halftime. The junior guard collected a team-best six rebounds and came up with three critical steals down the stretch.
Eastern grabbed the lead for good when Duncan scored in transition after a pass from Fraction on the next possession. While the Eagles did not trail again, the result remained in question for much of the second half as the Knights used their strength on the offensive glass to extend possessions.The Eastern lead stood at four with six and a half minutes to play.
Darius Washington hit a 12-foot bank shot from the left side to stretch the Eastern lead to 70-64.
Brennan Kastens then took a charge at one end and finished in the pain at the other to stretch the lead to eight.
Draig Ruff then hit a pair of free throws for a ten-point lead with five minutes to play after grabbing a tough defensive rebound in traffic.
Fraction then picked off a pass and hit two more free throws to stretch the Eastern lead to 76-64. The Knights scored on consecutive possessions and had a baseline out-of-bounds play with a chance to cut the Eastern lead to six. Head Coach
Eric McNelley asked for a timeout, and out of the break, Fraction stole the inbounds play and hit a tough floater at the other end for a 78-68 lead. Eastern scored eight of the final nine points in the game for the final margin.
The game presented a challenge for the Eagles in multiple ways. With the team away for Christmas, the team had only one day of practice to prepare to play without a pair of players who were injured in the final game before Christmas. Without Victor Peña and Cliffton Adams, the Eagles needed multiple players to step into new roles and for everyone to work on the glass. For just the second time this year, Eastern lost the battle on the glass, but eight players recorded multiple rebounds and kept things close in that category.
Duncan scored 15 of his 25 points when the Eagles were looking to find some answers in the first half.
Draig Ruff scored 12 points off the bench and
Michael Bowlers scored seven of his 11 points after half. Even with an off-night from behind the arc by Washington, the Eagles were 11-of-24 as a group on 3-pointers. Washington finished with 11 points and five assists.
The Knights shot 55 percent from the floor in the first half, but the Eastern defense held them to only 10-of-30 shooting in the second half. Jamier Cross led them with 19 points.
Coach McNelley Says:
"[This was a] Great team win today. We had nine players contribute major minutes today. Micaiah stepped in as our starter tonight and made big shots for us the entire game. He's a talented player and capable of helping us every night. Brennan Kastens and Marquise Peel made several plays in the second half that helped us build our lead."
"Austin Duncan stepped up today on the offensive end of the floor. We've asked him to be more aggressive and look for his shot more, and he delivered today. With the lose of Victor for the season, we will need guys to step up and play themselves into different roles from here on out."
"Very pleased overall today and will look to build off this win tomorrow night."
Up Next:
Eastern will play the winner of the game between The Coast Guard Academy and the host Shenandoah University Hornets in the Tournament Championship tomorrow.
