East Michigan News

Eastern Michigan University's men's basketball team was defeated by Texas State University in their season opener during the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Conference Challenge. The game, held at Strahan Arena on November 4, concluded with a score of 64-44 in favor of Texas State.

Christian Henry led Eastern Michigan with 17 points and three steals. The Bobcats took an early lead, scoring seven points to Eastern's two, and maintained their advantage throughout the game. By halftime, Texas State was ahead 35-22 and extended their lead to as much as 28 points with less than ten minutes remaining.

In terms of performance metrics, Eastern Michigan made only 29.3% of their field goals and hit just over 20% from beyond the arc. In contrast, Texas State shot 41.7% from the field and achieved a success rate of nearly 47% for three-point shots.

Jalen Terry contributed seven points while leading his team in rebounds (seven) and assists (five). His assist count marked the highest by an Eagle in a season opener since Noah Morgan's five assists against Siena Heights in November 2019. Jalen Billingsley added eight points alongside matching Terry's rebound tally.

The game also saw debuts for several Eagles players: Da'Sean Nelson, Trey Pettigrew, Julian Lewis, John Shanu II, Dillon Tingler, and Godslove Nwabude.

This match marked the first-ever encounter between EMU and Texas State in program history. It resulted in Eastern Michigan holding a record of one win to two losses in the MAC-SBC Challenge series since defeating Georgia Southern last year.

Despite this loss, EMU continued its streak of scoring at least one three-pointer per game—a run that spans over six hundred games since January 2004.

Looking ahead, Eastern Michigan will play its next game against Siena Heights on November 8 at home.

For ongoing updates about EMU's men's basketball team, fans are encouraged to visit EMUEagles.com or follow them on Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).