Box Score ST. DAVIDS, PA – The Eastern University men's basketball team defeated Rowan University, 97-92 in overtime on Friday night.
 
Forward Victor Pena (jr. Montecristi, DR/Colegio San Jose) led the Eagles with 21 points and nine rebounds.  Guard Darius Washington (jr. Wilkes-Barre, PA/Holy Redeemer) chipped in with 19 points and seven boards.  Guard Antonio Chapman (sr. Mobile, AL/Blount) added 17 points.
 
Eastern improves to 4-4 on the season and Rowan is 5-4 overall.  For the Profs, forward TJ Booth (sr. Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds.  Guard Nick DePersia (jr. Cherry Hill, NJ/Haddonfield Mem.) totaled 20 points and five assists.  Guard Jeff Haddock (so. Burlington, NJ/Willingboro) contributed with 10 points while forward Ramon Wright (jr. East Orange, NJ/Irvington) and guard Walter Harvey (fr. Woolwich, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) followed with nine and eight points respectively.    
 
There were eight lead changes in the second half and the score was tied seven times.  Chapman sank two foul shots (1:11) and the score was knotted at 83.  DePersia put Rowan up 85-83 (1:02) with a layup.  Chapman made two free throws with five seconds on the clock for overtime.
 
Pena's basket (4:05) and Washington's three-pointer (3:24) made the score 90-85.  Rowan pulled within two points (90-88) after a layup by Wright (3:11) and a Booth foul shot (1:43).  Guard Austin Duncan (jr. Knoxville, TN/Bearden) gave the Eagles a six-point advantage (96-90) with two points at the line with 32 seconds left.  Booth scored with a layup (0:22) and Pena made the first of two free throws (0:09) for the final score.  Pena scored seven of Eastern's 12 points in the overtime period.
 
In the first half, Duncan's layup put Eastern ahead 39-34 with 3:15 remaining.  The Profs closed the stanza with a 9-3 run for a one-point lead (43-42) at the break.  DePersia led the way with four points and Wright had three.  Guard Rob DePersia (jr. Cherry Hill, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) ended the spurt with a layup (0:14). 
 
Rowan is on the road again at Salisbury University on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m.