CENTER VALLEY, Pa.– Eastern University Men's Basketball used strong defense and timely shooting to pick up a 67-63 MAC Freedom win at DeSales. The league-leading Bulldogs (12-5, 5-1 MAC Freedom) had a nine-game winning streak entering tonight's game. First-year guard Draig Ruff scored all 13 of his points in the second half and finished with a game-high 14 rebounds to lead the Eagles (11-7, 5-2 MAC Freedom).

How It Happened:
Defense was the key. In the first half, the Eagles held DeSales to 9-of-38 shooting and only 26 points. The Bulldogs made five 3-pointers in the half, but they needed 19 attempts to get them. The defense came without putting DeSales on the foul line. The Bulldogs were only 3-of-5 from the stripe in the first half.

On the offensive end, the Eagles had only five players score in the first half. Michael Bowlers and Austin Duncan each had eight points and Darius Washington had seven on the way to a 29-26 lead. With the emphasis on working inside out, the Eagles were 3-of-7 from behind the arc in the half.

After DeSales scored the first four points of the second half, the Eagles countered with a 10-to-0 run to build a 39-30 lead with 15 minutes to play. Ruff had a layup and a 3-pointer in the burst. Duncan also hit a tough 3-pointer to force a DeSales timeout.

The Bulldogs answered with a 16-to-4 run over the next seven minutes to build a three-point lead with a little more than eight minutes to play. The lead changed hands and the Eagles held a 57-56 lead with four minutes to play.

Ruff found Washington for a good look from distance, and the senior guard made the 3-pointer for a four-point edge. The Bulldogs missed a pair at the line and the teams traded stops before Bowlers finished inside for a six-point edge.

William Blet then made a huge block at the other end and the Eagles earned another possession with a chance to open the lead further. Bowlers saw the DeSales double-team coming and found Ruff for an easy basket and an eight point-edge with a little over a minute to play.

The final minute was a battle for the Eagles who held on for the win despite five missed free throws and a turnover. Washington made two free throws after DeSales cut the Eastern lead to two points with a little over two seconds to play.

Duncan scored a game-high 16 points. He made 4-of-7 from behind the arc and had the primary defensive responsibility on guarding DeSales' leading scorer Tracey Simsick. Simsick, last week's MAC Freedom Player of the Week, scored 34 in his last game. He was 1-for-6 from the floor tonight.

Bowlers finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, and four assists and Washington had 12 points. Blet had six points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

The Bulldogs were 16-of-31 from the floor in the second half. They only made 3-of-12 3-pointers and took only seven free throws.

It is the first Eastern win at DeSales since 2015 and only the third win in Center Valley since Eastern joined NCAA Division III in 1992.

Up Next:
The Eagles will take on Wilkes at home on Saturday at 3:00 pm. The Colonels made all 33 of their free throw attempts the last time the two teams met and pulled away to a 94-74 win in Wilkes-Barre. Wilkes finished the first half of the league schedule with a 4-3 mark.