East Michigan News

Christian Henry led the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team with 21 points in a game against Loyola University Chicago, resulting in a 76-54 defeat. The match took place at Gentile Arena on Tuesday, December 3rd.

Henry, hailing from Chicago, Illinois, went 8-for-17 from the field. His teammate Da'Sean Nelson contributed 13 points to the team's total. Despite starting strong with the first basket of the game by Nelson, Eastern Michigan couldn't maintain momentum as Loyola responded with a run of 15 consecutive points.

Eastern Michigan managed a quick comeback attempt with a 7-0 run, thanks to Arne Osojnik's contributions, but ultimately trailed at halftime with a score of 39-26. Loyola extended their lead to as much as 74-48 before Yusuf Jihad hit two three-pointers towards the end of the game.

The Eagles now hold an overall record of 5-4 for the season while Loyola remains unbeaten at 7-0. Eastern Michigan had a shooting accuracy of 42.2% from the floor and made seven out of twenty attempts from beyond the arc. In contrast, Loyola Chicago shot at 54.7% and succeeded in nine out of twenty-two three-point attempts.

Henry's performance marked his second consecutive game scoring at least 21 points on his birthday. Nelson continued his streak of scoring at least thirteen points for four games straight and achieved a career-high six steals during this match.

Cooper Smith made his debut appearance for Eastern Michigan, contributing a lay-up and two assists in just under six minutes of playtime. Jihad maintained an impressive three-point shooting percentage this season by hitting both attempts during this game.

Loyola Chicago dominated rebounds against Eastern Michigan with a margin of 42 to fifteen and also scored significantly more second-chance points than their opponents.

In historical context, EMU now stands at four wins and two losses against LUC all-time. The Eagles recorded thirteen steals in this game—their highest since January earlier this year—and maintained several ongoing statistical streaks such as forcing turnovers and achieving multiple assists per game.

Looking ahead, Eastern Michigan will face Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday, December fifteenth at George Gervin GameAbove Center.

For updates on EMU sports events or further information about the team’s progress throughout their season visit EMUEagles.com or follow them via social media platforms including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).