Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
3-2,0-0MAC
Oakland
1-4,0-0Horizon
Eastern Earns 68-64 Road Win at Oakland
11/21/2024 10:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EMU used an 18-2 run to take lead in second half
Photo Gallery.
ROCHESTER, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team used a dominant second half to earn a 68-64 win at Oakland University Thursday, Nov. 21, at the OU Credit Union O'Rena.
The Eagles used an 18-2 run to open the second half en route to overcoming an eight-point halftime deficit.
Four Eagles reached double figures for the first time this season, highlighted by Arne Osojnik's (Ljubljana, Slovenia/Dream City Christian) 16 points.
How it Happened
Eastern trailed 15-8 early in the contest but battled to tie the game at 26-26 with less than five minutes to play.
Oakland closed the first half on a 10-2 spurt to lead 36-28 after 20 minutes, outscoring the Eagles, 26-4, in the opening period.
EMU burst out of the gates in the second half with an 18-2 run to start the frame, highlighted by a pair of long-range three pointers by Jalen Terry (Flint, Mich./Beecher/Oregon/DePaul), to take a 46-38 lead.
The Eagles led by as many as nine at 56-47 with 8:34 to go but the Golden Grizzlies rallied to cut the Eastern lead to just two with one minute to play.
Oakland missed a three-point attempt and in the closing seconds before Terry secured a defensive board and knocked in two free throws with three seconds remaining.
Game Notes
» Eastern moved to 3-2 overall while Oakland moved to 2-3 overall.
» Eastern Michigan was 23-of-60 (38.3%) from the floor and 9-of-24 (37.5%) from three-point range while Oakland was 23-of-47 (48.9%) from the field and 3-of-18 (16.7%) from deep.
» Osojnik's 16 points are a season high while his four made three-pointers mark his seventh career game with at least four made three-pointers.
» Terry scored eight points with five assists and six rebounds. He converted two three-pointers, marking his third-consecutive game with multiple made threes. Terry, who is 16-for-34 from downtown this season, is shooting an impressive 47.1% from deep.
» Da'Sean Nelson (Toledo, Ohio/Robert S. Rogers/Kilgore College/DePaul) recorded season highs in points (15) and rebounds (7), leading the Eagles on the glass.
» Jalin Billingsley (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran East/Georgetown) added 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting in 21 minutes.
» Yusuf Jihad (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington/Oakland) scored 10 points in his return to his former school, highlighted by a pair of first-half three-pointers and a key dunk with 8:50 to go in the game. Jihad has 14 career games with at least 10 points.
» EMU, the MAC's leading offensive rebounding team entering the day, recorded 11 offensive boards and has double-digit offensive rebounds in the season's first four games for the first time since at least the 2002-03 season.
» Eastern Michigan turned the ball over just six times, seven less than its previous season-low of 13 at IU Indy, Nov. 14. The Eagles' six turnovers are their fewest since giving the ball away six times at Central Michigan, March 8, 2024.
» The Eagles were outscored in paint points, 40-18, but tallied 27 points from behind the arc compared to OU's nine.
Historical Notes
» EMU moved to 12-9 against Oakland, recording its first win against OU since Dec. 6, 2017.
» The Eagles overcame a 36-28 halftime deficit to win as the eight-point margin marks EMU's biggest halftime deficit in a win since Eastern stunned Kent State, Jan. 6, 2024, after trailing by 12 at halftime and by as many as 17 in the second half.
» Eastern, which hit nine threes against Oakland, has now hit at least one triple in 618-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. The Eagles have converted multiple three-pointers in 40-straight contests, not having done so most recently in a 1-for-15 performance against Akron, Feb.14, 2023.
Next Up
Eastern Michigan will travel to Houston for the Houston Christian MTE. The Eagles will battle Houston Christian, Nov. 25, before taking on Northern Arizona, Nov. 26.
Follow Us
For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, continue to visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media, including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).
