Things looked a little tense when the Eagles fell behind 7-0 in a ragged opening couple of minutes. A quick time out and a couple Lenny DiMaria free throws followed by baskets from Chris McMonagle and Bobby Black started a 22-1 run capped by a Mike Johnson three that set the tone for the game.
The Eagles continued to push the tempo of the game and used thirteen players before half to tire their guests while continuing to spread the scoring amongst several players. Eleven Eagles had marked in the scorebook before half. Bryan Nadelhoffer led the Eagles with 9 first half points as the team shot 54 percent from the field with 15 assists on their way to a 56 to 37 advantage. James Fulton and Vaugn Carson both hit double figures for the Patriots with 12 and 10 points, but the visitors could not keep up with Eastern's balanced attack.
The second half saw more running from the Eagles, who played 16 players and finished with a 31-17 assist to turnover ratio. Dan Piotrowski (above), known for his defensive tenacity, capped the day's scoring with a lay-up after a steal with just under a minute left. Four players finished in double figures for the Eagles with Lenny DiMaria leading the way with 14 points. Coach Nadelhoffer said after the game, "We are pleased with how we shared the ball and with our defensive intensity. We need to concentrate more at the foul line in order to take better advantage of our inside game. I thought Mike Johnson did a nice job passing the basketball and considering the pace of the game I think we did a nice job limiting our turnovers. We will get better, but it is good to have a chance to give all the guys some run in an early game."
The Eagles will face Maryland Bible College in an all-Eagle final of the Minella's Tip-off Classic. The MBC Eagles used a 39 point performance, including two baskets in the last five seconds, by Emil Curry to down the Mechanics of Williamson Trade 80-76 in the other opening round game. Williamson and Valley Forge Christian will play at 1:00 Saturday followed immediately by Eastern and Maryland Bible.