East Michigan News

Eastern Michigan University's men's basketball team narrowly defeated Northern Arizona University, 72-68, on November 26 at Sharp Gymnasium during the Houston Christian MTE. Despite leading by 17 points with 14 minutes remaining, Eastern Michigan faced a strong comeback from Northern Arizona, who briefly took a four-point lead. However, the Eagles managed to outscore their opponents 17-9 in the final five minutes to secure victory.

Da'Sean Nelson led the scoring for Eastern Michigan with 20 points. Christian Henry added 15 points, Jalen Terry contributed 11, and Jalin Billingsley scored 10. This marks the third time this season that four Eagles players have reached double figures in a game.

Northern Arizona initially led early in the game before Eastern Michigan went on a significant run to take control. By halftime, Eastern held a substantial lead of 37-23. Although Northern Arizona rallied with a 23-2 run to gain an advantage late in the game, crucial free throws and lay-ups by Nelson and Billingsley ensured an Eagles' win.

The victory brought both teams' records to 5-2 overall. Eastern Michigan shot 43.6% from the floor and made five three-pointers during the game. Da'Sean Nelson's performance was notable as he set a season-high in points after his previous high against Houston Christian.

Jalen Terry achieved a career-high of four steals, all occurring in the first half of play against Northern Arizona. Dillon Tingler also posted a career-high six points and recorded a +21 plus-minus rating over his time on the court.

Despite being outrebounded by Northern Arizona with a margin of 46-31, Eastern Michigan still managed to claim victory. This was their first win when being outrebounded by at least 15 since January 12, 2016.

Historically, this result moved EMU's record against Northern Arizona to two wins and one loss. The team has started their season with five wins out of seven games for the first time since the 2019-2020 season.

Looking ahead, Eastern Michigan will face Detroit Mercy on November 30 at George Gervin GameAbove Center.

For ongoing updates about Eastern Michigan's basketball team, fans are encouraged to visit EMUEagles.com or follow them on social media platforms like Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).