ST. DAVIDS, Pa. - Coming off its tough loss to Alvernia, Eastern Men's Basketball (15-4, 10-2 MACC) bounced back in a big way on Saturday afternoon, showcasing its resilience in a tough 65-62 victory over Stevenson at the NEST.
in a contest that featured eight lead changes, he Eagles saw a 15-point lead evaporate in the first half, but never lost their composure, going toe-to-toe with the Mustangs and hitting several crucial shots down the stretch to secure their 10th conference victory, their 15th win overall, and their seventh win on their home floor.
Four of Eastern's five starters finished in double figures, led by Draig Cooley, who scored 17 points on five-of-seven shooting from the field and seven-of-10 from the foul line. Jaron Fairweather collected 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Sam Gallardo finished with 14 points in his return to the lineup. William Blet rounded out Eastern's double-digit scorers with a double-double, recording 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Over the first 13:43 of the contest, the Eagles' defense clamped down on the Stevenson offense, holding the Mustangs to just 11 points while building a 15-point advantage. Gallardo and Blet combined for 13 points as the Eagles took a 24-11 lead with 6:17 remaining before halftime. However, the Mustangs came roaring back, outscoring the Eagles 15-7 and shooting six-of-nine from the floor to trim Eastern's lead to 31-26 at the halftime break.
Eastern held off the Mustangs in the early stages of the second half, with its lead hovering between four and seven points, but a 7-0 run at the midway point of the frame gave Stevenson its first advantage at 41-40. The two teams continued to trade buckets over the next few minutes, with the lead changing hands all eight times from the 11:37 to the 6:15 mark, but a fast break layup from Fairweather at the 6:15 mark gave the Eagles the advantage back for good.
Stevenson trimmed the advantage to three points at the 3:33 mark, but a critical bucket from Blet and another layup from Fairweather on back-to-back Eastern possession increased the lead back up to seven. Cooley iced the contest, knocking down four straight free throws in the final 13 seconds.
As a team, Eastern shot 25-of-61 (41.0 percent) from the field while turning the ball over just nine times. Additionally, the Eagles collected 13 assists on their 25 made field goals, recorded eight steals, and outrebounded the Mustangs by four.
Eastern will be back in action this coming Wednesday, taking on Albright for the second time this season. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 pm.
