PURCHASE, N.Y.– After scuffling through the first half, Eastern University Men's Basketball shot nearly 59 percent from the floor in the second half to pull away to an 82-68 MAC Freedom win at Manhattanville College. With the win, the Eagles (13-10, 8-4 MAC Freedom) secure a spot in the MAC Freedom Tournament for the second consecutive year.

Darius Washington led the way for the Eagles in the second half. The junior guard scored 17 of his game-high 22 points in the second half. He also dished out seven assists, blocked a shot and had a momentum-changing steal.

Despite shooting only 2-of-15 from behind the arc in the first half, Eastern led 31-29 at the break. Valiant guard Mike Granda opened the second half with a 3-pointer, but Washington answered with a long-range effort at the other end. The Eagles bumped the lead to four points before Washington ripped a ball free at the top of the Manhattanville key and was fouled going to the basket with just under 17 minutes to play.

He made both free throws, and the Eagles picked another point on the possession after a technical foul. The Valiants briefly cut the deficit back to four points before William Blew finished a drive and Austin James connected from dee p on consecutive possessions to puttee Eagles up 48-39.

The Eastern lead grew to 25 points on an Austin Duncan finish with a little less than five minutes to play. Manhattanville closed out the game on a 19-8 run.

Head Coach Eric McNelley pointed to the defensive production of sophomore forward Miles Carter who played his first minutes as an Eagle in the game. Carter came on to match up against Manhattanville freshman Sean Smith in the second half. Carter blocked a pair of shots, grabbed a couple rebounds, and scored five points. Smith had scored 50 points in the two games coming into today. He finished with six points on two field goals today. 

"Miles has been very patient since transferring in mid-year." McNelley added. "He has worked to get acclimated to what we do. He has the potential to be a difference-maker at the defensive end, and it was really good to see him take advantage of his opportunity today."

Antonio Chapman was 3-of-4 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the line in the second half. He finished with 18 points and three steals.

"We told them to stay patient at halftime," McNelley added. "We were impatient in the first half and we forced some shots. When we get good shots and limit turnovers, we can score pretty well."

Washington's seven assists are a career high, but McNelley noted that it is part of a trend he has seen.

"Darius is drawing a lot of attention on the perimeter," McNelley said. "He is recognizing opportunities to make a play for teammates. He had six assists against FDU, and I would not be surprised to see him have a double-digit assist game at some point. He is working on his game and is becoming a well-rounded player."

Granda hit five 3-pointers to lead Manhattanville (8-15, 2-10 MAC Freedom) with 16 points.

The win, combined with the loss by King's at DeSales, puts Eastern in the top four in the MAC Freedom for the post-season. Wilkes, Misericordia, Eastern, and DeSales will play in the Tournament. Who plays whom and where is still very much up in the air. Misericordia hosts DeSales on Tuesday, and Eastern will play at Wilkes next Saturday.

Eastern will honor its senior class before the game on Tuesday against Delaware Valley University.