ST. DAVIDS, Pa. – A very young Eastern University Men's Basketball team opened their 2020-21 slate with a home test against the Stevenson University Mustangs (2-3). The Eagles (0-1) showed moments of promise but struggled from the field and behind the arc in a 76-61 loss. Terron Bacon led the Eagles with 12 points.

The Eagles entered the game with three players who saw the floor for any amount of time active. Bacon a senior and sophomores Sam Gallardo and Jaron Fair-weather were joined by a slew of players making their first collegiate appearance.

The Mustangs jumped out to a 29-15 lead midway through the half and looked poised to put the game away early. The Eagles, however, responded. Bacon hit a 3-pointer, the team's lone made long-distance make of the first half. He followed that up with a pair of free throws.

Coach Pruessner's young charges committed to getting to the basket or to the foul line, and they cut the deficit to 33-27 on a Joshua Grant lay-up with four minutes left in the half. The Mustangs scored the next two baskets before Bacon finished in traffic for an old-fashioned three-point play.

Stevenson's Evan Joseph made a pair of hoops to spark the visitors to a 7-to-2 run to close out the half. Joseph finished the game with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Stevenson led 44-32 at intermission.

The Eagles made just 1-of-13 (7.7%) from behind the arc in the opening half and shot only 28.6 percent from the floor. Stevenson shot 53.1 percent from the floor and made five 3-pointers. The Eagles kept the game close with 11-of-13 shooting from the foul line.

The Mustangs made just three baskets in the opening five minutes of the second half, but two of those hoops were 3-pointers, and the Eagles still trailed by 12 when Juliyen Johnson powered home a lay-up off a good feed from Grant.

The Mustangs gained valuable separation with a 9-to-1 run over the next five minutes to build a 20-point edge.

Though they continued to battle at the defensive end, the Eagles' shooting woes continued as the half wound down. Kent Oleweiler's deep 3-pointer in the final minutes was the only Eastern make from beyond the arc in the second half. The Eagles were just 2-of-21 for the game from distance and 21-of-71 overall.

Fair-weather finished with 10 points. Gallardo and Kaeshawn Ward each scored eight. Gallardo recorded a team-best nine rebounds. KJ Holton led four Mustangs in double-figures with 16 points.

The Eagles travel to Maryland tomorrow evening for the return leg of the home-and-home series with the Mustangs. The original opening game of the year at Albright will be played on March 1.