Center Valley, PA (January 27, 2018) - Senior Connor Jones(Hawley, PA) hit a 12-foot baseline jumper with 5.9 seconds left giving the DeSales University men's basketball team a 71-70 lead and ultimately the win in MAC Freedom action on Saturday afternoon in Billera Hall.

After the Bulldogs (15-4, 6-2 MAC Freedom) were assessed a technical foul with 7:32 remaining, Eastern led 66-59 before DeSales scored seven straight points, all from the foul line over the next three minute to tie the score at 66 with 4:44 left.  EU's Antonio Chapman ended the Eagles drought with what proved to be its only FG over the final seven and a half minutes.  Two more Eagles FTs on their next possession gave the visitor's a 70-66 lead with 3:43 to go.

Sophomore Kweku Dawson-Amoah (Stewartsville, NJ) cashed in two freebies with 2:38 to go pulling DSU within two and two empty possessions for Eastern and one for DeSales, Jones was fouled on a mid-range jumper with 56 seconds left giving him a chance to tie the game.  He missed the second of two freebies making it a one-point game (70-69).  Eastern committed a shot clock violation on the next possession and DSU called timeout with 22.1 seconds left.

After multiple timeouts, senior Steven Ciotti (Yardley, PA) had the ball on the left wing, drove the lane, and found Jones who popped back to the baseline, hitting a 12-footer giving DSU the lead with 5.9 left.

After a timeout, the Eagles advanced the ball to halfcourt and immediately called timeout.  On the ensuing inbounds play, EU's Victor Pena broke free under the hoop but his lay-up attempt at the buzzer was off the back iron and fell off the front of the rim as time expired.

Sophomore Tracy Simsick (Harleysville, PA) led the Bulldogs with a game-high 20 points, including 15 in the first-half.  Dawson-Amoah had 19 points and eight rebounds, junior Luke Connaghan (Warrington, PA) had a double-double, his third of the season, with 12 points and 11 boards, and Jones finished with 10 points.

Eastern (10-9, 5-3 MAC Freedom) got 13 points from Pena, 12 points each from William Blet and Jordan Johnson, and 10 points from Darius Washington.

The Eagles led for most of the first-half before the Bulldogs finished the opening twenty minutes on a 6-0 run to lead 36-33.  After pushing its lead to as many as six points early in the second-half, Eastern had a 20-7 run that gave it a seven-point lead setting up the final stages of the game.

After struggling from the charity stripe early, DeSales finished the game strong hitting 12 of its final 13 from the foul line.

The Bulldogs are back in action on Wednesday when they host Manhattanville College in a MAC Freedom game beginning at 8:00 pm.