MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - Behind a career-night from Wynter Bess and a strong second half on both ends of the floor, Eastern Women's Basketball recorded its second win in a row with a 69-51 triumph over Penn State Harrisburg. The Eagles shot 46.6 (27-of-58) from the field for the game and outscored the Lions 42-25 after halftime to secure the victory.

Bess played one of her best games in an Eastern uniform, scoring a career-best 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the floor and two-of-five from beyond the arc. The Philadelphia native also finished with eight rebounds, four on the offensive glass, to go along with three steals, one block, and one assist.

Miranda Liebtag was second on the Eagles with 14 points along with six rebounds, three assists, and three steals, while Taryn Woodson scored eight points and secured a team-high 15 boards. Jeriyah Johnson collected eight points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Camila Sosa added seven points, three rebounds, and five assists.

The Eagles (2-5) led 18-11 after the first quarter of play. Bess led the way with six points, while Liebtag and Woodson each scored four. Liebtag opened the scoring with a layup and Johnson followed with a pair of free throws, before Bess scored on back-to-back possessions to make it an 8-2 Eastern advantage. After a PSU three, Bess scored again in transition to put the Eagles back ahead by five, and Jakaylah Holland followed with a basket of her own to make it a seven-point advantage. Liebtag added another field goal and Woodson recorded two more layups to put the Eagles ahead by seven at the first quarter break.

The Lions (4-7) pushed back in the second quarter, outscoring the Eagles 15-9. Bess hit a three-pointer with 5:20 on the clock to put the Eagles ahead by 12, but the Lions used a 13-2 run to turn their deficit into a 25-25 tie. Liebtag gave Eastern the lead back with a layup in the final minute, and the Lions scored a free throw to make 27-26 at halftime.

Eastern, however, took control of the contest in the second half, shooting 5-of-11 in the third quarter and a remarkable 10-of-12 from the field in a 28-point fourth quarter. After the lead flipped back and forth in the third quarter's early stages, and with the Lions holding a 34-32 advantage, the Eagles ended the quarter on a 9-0 run to take a lead they would not relinquish.

The Eagles dominated the fourth quarter, eventually building a double-digit advantage. Bess scored 10 of her 26 points in the frame, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the field to help seal the deal.

"I'm very proud of the way our team played tonight," Eastern Head Coach Sarah Fowler said. "It was unselfish basketball, and I was pleased with our defense. It helped that we made shots as well. This was a step in the right direction for us."

The Eastern defense was stout throughout the night, limiting the Lions to just 16-of-53 shooting from the field (30.2 percent) and eight-of-28 (28.6 percent) from distance. The Eagles also forced 19 turnovers and scored 21 points off of those giveaways. Offensively, the Eagles distributed the ball tremendously with 19 assists on 27 made field goals, and dominated in the paint with a 40-16 scoring advantage.

Eastern will make the trek to Dallas on Saturday for a 1:00 pm contest against Misericordia.