Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
1-1,0-0MAC
Georgia Southern
0-2,0-0Sun Belt
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ga. Southern | 23 | 37 | 60 |
| Eastern Mich. | 40 | 30 | 70 |
Eastern Michigan Tops Georgia Southern, 70-60
11/11/2023 2:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EMU wins first leg of MAC-SBC Challenge in home opener
Highlight Video | Postgame Press Conference | Photo Gallery
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team defeated Georgia Southern University, 70-60, in its 2023-24 home opener and the first leg of the Mid-American Conference/Sun Belt Conference Challenge Saturday, Nov. 11, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
Freshman Arne Osojnik (Ljubljana, Slovenia/Dream City Christian) led the way for EMU with 18 points, including a pair of three-pointers in the final two minutes to put the game out of reach.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 13-10 advantage, Eastern Michigan went on a 7-0 run with 13:02 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from junior Legend Geeter (River Rouge, Mich./River Rouge/Providence), to increase its lead to 20-10. EMU then added seven points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 40-23 advantage. Eastern Michigan did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 22 of its 40 points close to the basket.
Eastern Michigan kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by junior Kevin-David Rice's (Flint, Mich./Grand Blanc/Delta College) jumper, to grow the lead to 51-40 with 10:58 to go in the contest. Georgia Southern narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but EMU still cruised the rest of the way for the 70-60 win. Eastern Michigan got a boost from its bench in the period as non-starters accounted for 11 of its 30 total points.
Game Notes
» Eastern moved to 1-1 on the season while Georgia Southern dropped to 0-2.
» Eastern Michigan was 25-of-52 (48.1%) from the floor and 7-of-22 (31.8%) from three-point range while Georgia Southern was 19-of-60 (31.7%) from the floor and 9-of-36 (25.0%) from three-point range.
» Eastern, which buried seven threes against Georgia Southern, Nov. 11, has now hit at least one triple in 584-straight games. EMU last failed to score from downtown Jan. 24, 2004, when Miami University held the Eagles to 0-of-7 from behind the arc.
» Osojnik has opened his collegiate career with back-to-back games with 13-plus points after scoring 13 points against Butler University, Nov. 6. The freshman was 7-for-13 (53.8%) from the floor against GSU.
» Osojnik's 18 points are the most a freshman has scored for EMU in a game since current sophomore Orlando Lovejoy (Detroit, Mich/Summit Academy North) scored 18, Nov. 7, 2022, against Wayne State University.
» Junior Tyson Acuff (Detroit Mich/Cass Technical/Duquesne) scored 15 points, netting 13-plus points in each game this season after scoring 13 points against Butler, Nov. 6.
» Acuff was 7-for-7 from the free throw line marking the most free throws made without a miss by the junior in his career, topping his 5-for-5 performances at Bowling Green State University, Feb. 28, 2023, and at University of Rhode Island, Feb. 26, 2022, while he was at Duquesne University.
» Junior Yusuf Jihad (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) finished with nine points for EMU. Jihad has opened the first two games of the season by scoring nine points in consecutive games.
» Eastern Michigan won the rebounding battle, 39-36, led by redshirt junior John McGriff (Glenn Dale, Md./Bishop McNamara/Binghamton) and junior Jalin Billingsley (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran East/Georgetown). The seven boards each player brought down is the most that an Eastern Michigan player has recorded this season. McGriff added a team-high four assists.
» EMU's 40-23 lead at halftime was its largest halftime lead since the Eagles led, 55-28, against Miami, Jan. 29, 2022.
Historical Notes
» Saturday's meeting was the first-ever game between Eastern Michigan and Georgia Southern.
» Eastern Michigan has now won 16-straight non-conference home openers with its last non-conference, home-opening loss coming to Brown University, Nov. 9, 2007 in a 74-55 final. EMU has won 15-of-16 home openers as the Eagles dropped a 91-74 decision to the University of Toledo, Dec 4, 2020 in a COVID-19-effected season. Under Head Coach Stan Heath, EMU has secured home-opening wins against Wayne State (75-66), Nov. 7, 2022, against Illinois State (103-98, 2 OT), Nov. 12, 2021, and Georgia Southern (70-60).
Next Up
Eastern Michigan is scheduled to travel to 10th-ranked Florida Atlantic Tuesday, Nov. 14, in a 7 p.m. start. The Eagles have not played a ranked opponent since a tight 88-83 loss to 22nd-ranked Michigan, Nov. 11, 2022.
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