East Michigan News

Eastern Michigan University's men's basketball team is set to face Northern Illinois in their first Mid-American Conference game of the season. The game will take place at the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on Saturday, January 4, at 2 p.m.

The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ with commentary from Ryan Wooley and Ben Braun. Tom Helmer will provide live coverage on WEMU (89.1 FM) and through the Varsity Network App. Live statistics for fans and media will be available on EMUEagles.com.

In their previous game against Davidson on December 28, Eastern Michigan fell behind early after a fire alarm delay but managed to close the gap before ultimately losing by a significant margin. Senior Da'Sean Nelson led the team with 16 points, marking his eighth consecutive game scoring in double figures.

Eastern Michigan holds a record of 19-31 in MAC openers and has achieved a unique feat this season by having four different players score at least 27 points in separate games. The team's head coach, Stan Heath, is currently in his fourth year with the Eagles.

Historically, Northern Illinois leads the all-time series against Eastern Michigan with a record of 59-46. However, Eastern maintains an advantage when playing at home with a record of 39-26 despite losing their most recent home encounter.

Eastern Michigan's roster includes notable performances from senior Jalen Terry and junior Christian Henry among others. The team has been effective in close games this season and continues to average high assists per game within the conference.

The upcoming game promises to be competitive as both teams seek to establish momentum early in their conference schedules.