Senior guard Anias Saunders scored 24 points and sophomore guard Zack Blue added 15 in leading the University of Mary Washington men's basketball team to an 81-66 victory at Pfeiffer University on Monday nigth in Misenheimer, N.C. The Eagles improve to 15-4 on the season.

The Eagles opened up a double figure lead in the first half, with a strong 7-2 start that included five points from Saunders. Pfeiffer cut the Eagle lead to one, at 13-12, with 13:13 remaining in the first half, but UMW answered with a Riley Welch jumper, becoming the sixth different Eagle to score to open the game, at 12:39 left. Leading 21-19 midway through the half, UMW reeled off nine straight points to open up a 30-19 advantage with 5:46 to go. A Welch layup with 1:20 remaining upped the margin to 13 before settling for a ten-point half time lead, 35-25.

In the second half, the Eagles' balance and depth from three-point land maintained a comfortable lead, as long-range baskets from Blue, Saunders, Welch, and Daniel Peterson kept the lead in double figures. In the end the Eagles used free throws down the stretch from Blue and Da'Shawn Cook for the comfortable win.

Saunders scored 24 points on 9-20 shooting, with a pair of three point shots. Blue scored 15 points on 4-6 shooting from the field and 6-8 from the free throw line. Ra'Shawn Cook scored 11 points and added five steals, and Peterson added 10 points. 

UMW shot 25-65 from the field (38.5%), making 6-23 three point attempts and 25-30 free throws. Pfeiffer shot 40% (24-60), making 9-33 three point tries and 9-14 free throws.

The Eagles will be back in action on Thursday at Averett University at 6:00 p.m.