ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– After the most successful regular season since 1988, Eastern University Men's Basketball will start its postseason run in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament at home on Wednesday at 7:30. With the league expanding the field for 2022, the top-seeded Eagles will open against the ninth-seeded Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen in the opening round.

LVC advanced to the final eight with a 73-65 play-in game win at York College on Monday evening. Tucker scored 16 of his game-high 27 points after halftime as the Dutchmen erased a 41-32 halftime deficit. Collin Jones scored 21 in the game. 

While Eastern (19-4, 14-2) swept the season series, LVC stayed within striking distance in both games. The Eagles pulled away to a 68-54 win in Annville in January. The Dutchmen shaved away a 19-point Eastern lead and got to within a single possession before falling 76-72 on Eastern's senior day last week. Tucker led three Dutchmen in double-figures with 17 in that loss. Jones, the 2021 MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year, scored 13 in St. Davids and tallied a game-high 23 at Lebanon Valley.

While Jones, rookie forward Evin Timochenko, and Tucker dominate the scoring for LVC, the Eagles have seen balanced scoring through the year. Led by junior guard Sam Gallardo at 14.7 points per game, five Eastern players average over 10.3 points per game in league play. Gallardo is shooting just under 50 percent from 3-point range. He, fellow junior Jaron Fairweather, and senior forward Draig Cooley all make more than half their attempts from the floor. Kaeshawn Ward has a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and William Blet leads the MAC Commonwealth in blocked shots.

The winner of Wednesday's quarterfinal will play the winner of the quarterfinal game between Messiah and Stevenson. Messiah will host that contest at 8:00. The Falcons, who handed the Eagles one of their two losses on the year, split the season series. They lost at Stevenson in overtime in January before claiming a one-point win at home in early February. Hood will host Albright and Alvernia hosts Widener. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday and the Championship game will be Sunday afternoon. 

As the top seed, Eastern will host every match it plays through the tournament. 

Admission is charged for all MAC Tournament events. The price for adults is $6. Seniors are $4, students are $2, and  children under six are free. Eastern University Student Development will cover the cost of admission for EU students with ID.