Strong Second-Half Lifts DeSales past Eastern, 73-64

Junior Darnell Braswell recorded his first career double-double in the won Wednesday.

Box Score

BOX SCORE

Center Valley, PA (January 7, 2009) – A 17-2 run to start the second half gave the DeSales University men's basketball team a 16-point lead and the Bulldogs never looked back in a 73-64 win over Eastern University on Wednesday evening in Billera Hall in Freedom Conference action.

DSU wastes no time bouncing back from its first and only loss of the season its last time out. The Bulldogs improve to 10-1 overall and stay unbeaten (3-0) in the Freedom Conference with the win. Eastern falls to 5-4 overall and 0-3 in the Freedom with the loss. After a poor shooting afternoon in their first loss on Sunday, DSU returned to form on Wednesday shooting 49.1 percent from the field and enjoyed a large advantage on the glass, out-rebounding the Eagles, 47-33.

The opening half was tight the entire way as neither team led by more than six points in a half that saw seven ties. After EU took a 13-8 lead, DeSales used a 13-2 run to open up a 21-15 advantage at the 7:33 mark. Junior Jim Malatesta (Warminster, PA/Archbishop Wood) started the run with five quick points before senior Ed Lapinski (Red Hill, PA/Upper Perkiomen) and sophomore Brian Hunter (Allentown, PA/Emmaus) finished the run with four points each to lead the way.

The rest of the half went back and forth and with DeSales trailing 28-27, Hunter hit a driving lay-up with 43 ticks left to give DSU a one-point halftime cushion.

The second half started out all Bulldogs as they scored 17 of the first 19 points to build a 16-point lead, 46-30, and really never looked back from there. Six different players scored during the run and no player had more than four points in a balanced attack. The lead grew to as many as 22 points with 5:37 to go before the Eagles begin to foul the Bulldogs in an attempt to get back in the game with just over three minutes left. The Bulldogs struggled from the line, hitting just 5-of-15 freebies down the stretch as Eastern clawed as close as eight points, 68-60, before the final margin was posted.

Lapinski was tremendous in the win, scoring a career-high 26 points and pulling down 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. He shot 11-of-12 from the field (91.7%) to set a new single-game record for shooting percentage at DeSales with his only miss a three-pointer late in the game.

Junior Darnell Braswell (Allentown, PA/William Allen) finished with his first career double-double, scoring 10 points and pulling down a career-high 11 boards, while Hunter had 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Malatesta came off the bench to score eight points and pull down four boards.

EU was led by freshman Tyrik Tucker with 19 points and Jason Reels with 18 points. Danny Miller also reached double digits with 10 tallies off the bench.

The Bulldogs will return to action on Wednesday, January 7^th as they return to Freedom Conference action hosting Alvernia University in Billera Hall at 3:00 pm. For those unable to attend, you can follow the game online via LIVE Stats or LIVE Audio.

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