DALLAS, Pa. - Behind another strong shooting performance and a pair of long scoring runs in the second and fourth frames, Eastern Women's Basketball recorded its third straight triumph with a 55-45 road win over the Misercordia Cougars on Saturday afternoon. Junior forward Taryn Woodson recorded her fourth double-double of the season, and the Eagles shot 42.9 percent from the field in the victory.

Eastern's defense was also stout throughout the afternoon. The Eagles held the Cougars to just 18-of-73 (24.7 percent) from the floor and five-of-33 (15.2 percent) from beyond the arc. Additionally, Eastern forced 13 turnovers and scored 12 points off of those giveaways.

Woodson finished the contest with 18 points and 13 rebounds, and played a big role in Eastern's paint scoring. Eastern dominated inside, outscoring the Cougars 36-22. The Harrisburg native was nine-of-13 from the field and also recorded one block and one steal. Miranda Liebtag collected nine points on four-of-seven shooting to go along with five rebounds and two blocks, while Jeriyah Johnson added nine points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

The first quarter was close throughout as neither team lead by more than two points. Misericordia (5-4) took a 15-14 lead into the second quarter on a late layup from Caitlin Landgraf.

However, the Eagles grabbed the momentum, outscoring the Cougars 16-7 in the second quarter to take a lead they would not relinquish. In the first 8:57 of the frame, the Eagles outscored the Cougars 14-0. Woodson scored the first 10 points in the run, and the Eagles' defense held Misericordia to 0-for-9 shooting in the nearly nine minute run. The Cougars were able to find a little offense in the final minute, but the Eagles took a 30-22 lead into the halftime break.

Misericordia came roaring back in the third quarter, coming back from a nine-point deficit to make it 36-35 Eastern with 4:16 to go in the frame. A Jakaylah Holland free throw and a Stephanie White layup put the Eagles ahead 39-37 heading into the final 10 minutes.

The Cougars scored the first basket of the final frame to tie the contest at 39-39, but the Eagles took control from that moment forward. Another lengthy scoring run, this time 10 straight points, put Eastern ahead by 12 with 5:22 to play. Johnson scored seven of the Eagles' 12 points, including a triple. That proved to be enough, as the Cougars would not get any closer than six the rest of the way. In the second and fourth quarters

"I'm proud of our team and how we didn't waver when Misericordia went on their runs. We stayed locked in on defense and converted on offense when it counted," Eastern Head Coach Sarah Fowler said. "This is a great confidence boost on the road, but we're remaining humble."

Eastern (3-5) will head to Washington D.C. for the Jamie Lynn Roberts Fairfield Inn DC Holiday Classic in nine days time. The Eagles will play Catholic on Dec. 18 at 2:00 pm and conclude the tournament against TCNJ on Dec. 19 at 1:00 pm.