Box Score

RADNOR, Pa. -  For the fifth consecutive year, the Cabrini College men's basketball team retains bragging rights in the Battle for Eagle Road after tonight's 80-66 win over Eastern University at Nerney Field House. The victory extends the Cavaliers home win streak to 45 games, dating back to the home opener of the 2009-10 season.

The Cavaliers (2-1) used a balanced offense and a dominant rebounding performance to ground the Eagles.  Junior Fran Rafferty led four Cavaliers in double-figure scoring with 19 points, including 10-11 from the free throw line.  Freshman Arron Goodman added 17 points, while senior A.J. Williams tallied 16 and tied a career high with four steals.  Cabrini outrebounded Eastern 43-27 on the game, holding the Eagles to just five second chance points and outscoring them 46-8 in the paint.

As one would expect in rivalry game, neither team could really grab the momentum in the early going, as both teams established five point leads in the first 10 minutes of action.  Eagles' senior Tyler Stower knocked down a jumper to put Eastern up 18-13 but the Cavaliers responded with a 10-2 run capped by a Jon Miller lay-up, giving Cabrini a 23-20 lead.  The Blue and White would not surrender the lead for the rest of the game.

Eastern tied the score twice before halftime, including with 29 seconds to play before the half, but a lay-up by senior Goran Dulac and Rafferty steal and free throws gave Cabrini a 34-30 advantage after 20 minutes.  

The Eagles sliced Cabrini's lead to 41-40 with 13:40 to play before a Jeremy Knowles lay-up sent the Blue and White on a 13-1 run over the next 3:46.  Freshman Brad Fagan's jumper put the Cavaliers up 54-41 midway through the second half.  Cabrini extended its lead to a game high 19 points on Rafferty's three pointer with just under four minutes to play.

Eastern wasn't done as sophomore Anthony Parenti connected on three three pointer in the final three minutes of the game, but the Cavaliers made 9-12 free throws in the final two minutes to seal the win.

Knowles posted 11 points, three steals and a pair of blocks off the bench, while Dulac secured 11 rebounds.

Parenti finished the game with 29 points, including 6-9 from beyond the arc, for the Eagles (1-2).

Prior to the game, the Cavaliers celebrated their 2012 run to the NCAA National Championship game as they unveiled the Final Four and National Runner-Up banner.

The Blue and White will return to action on Saturday when they face Widener University in Aston, Pa.  The game is slated to begin at 2:15 p.m. as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Neumann University.