WATERTOWN, Wis. (Dec. 4, 2007) – Junior forward Chris DeMarco had a season-high 30 points as Edgewood College downed Maranatha Baptist 78-66 for their first conference victory of the season. Down by five points, the Eagles went on a 16-0 run late in the first half and would not look back, leading the rest of the game.

After the Eagles had jumped out to an early 9-2 lead the Crusaders countered and took a five point 26-21 lead with 4:57 left in the half. A John Fahey three-pointer cut the Crusaders lead to just three and sparked the Eagles who would go on a 16-0 run that helped the Eagles build an 11 point lead on Maranatha Baptist.

Despite the Eagles leading by as much as 16 points in the second half the Crusaders managed to chip away at the Eagles lead and pulled to within two points at 51-49 and again at 53-51. The Eagles would respond making all 12 of their free throws down the stretch as they pulled out the 12 point victory.

Edgewood College, after having struggled from the free throw line in their previous games, shot an impressive 20-for-22 from the line. The Eagles also dominated the boards as they outrebounded the Crusaders 38-17 on the night, including 17 offensive boards. Mike Knepp led Maranatha in scoring as he dropped 28 points, while teammate and current NAC scoring leader Josh Burch contributed 23 points. Eagle Chris DeMarco finished the night with 30 points, six assists and 14 rebounds, all career highs. It was DeMarco's first double-double of the season as well.

The victory snaps a two game losing skid for the Eagles and improves their record to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play. The Crusaders drop to 3-2 on the year and 0-1 in conference play. The Eagles were the first Division III opponent the Crusaders have faced all year, Maranatha’s early schedule featured schools from the NCCAA. The win continues the Eagles dominance over the Crusaders in recent years as Edgewood College has won 22 of the last 23 meetings and has not lost in Watertown since February 5, 1998.

Edgewood College returns to Madison for their first home game of the year on Saturday, December 8, as MSOE comes to the Edgedome. Game time is set for 4:15 p.m. and the game will be webcasted on EdgewoodCollegeEagles.com.

Summary by Mark Albanese, Sports Information