ST. DAVIDS (PA) – Collin Whipple shot 10-for-15 from the field and finished with 25 points to lead Eastern University to a 76-69 victory over visiting Delaware Valley College in a Freedom Conference game.

The Eagles improved to 5-2 overall and 1-1 in league action while the Aggies, who played without all-conference forward/center Jeremy Beckett (injury) for the second straight game, fell to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in the Freedom.

Eastern held a 17-16 advantage midway through the first half when it went on a 9-2 run to up its lead to eight. The Eagles, behind 11 points from Whipple, eventually took a 33-27 lead into the intermission.

Delaware Valley's Nate Lewis opened the second stanza by hitting a jumper 20 seconds in. However, Eastern followed by scoring 13 of the next 17 points, capped by a four-point play by Michael Donatoni, for a 46-33 advantage with 13:23 remaining.

The Eagles went up by 14 two minutes later before a 10-2 Aggie spurt, including eight by Jay Donovan pulled them to within six, 52-46.  Eastern answered with nine straight – six by Whipple - to put the contest away.

In addition to Whipple's heroics, Donatoni finished with 15 points while Alex Nelson added 11 points and seven rebounds.

Nathan Bollinger led Delaware Valley with 25 points. Donovan came off the bench to score 14 points while Lewis contributed 14 points and nine rebounds. Daulton Derr also hit double figures with 10 points.