Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
9-13,2-8MAC
Northern Illinois
7-14,1-8MAC
Lovejoy Scores Career-High 19 Points in Loss at NIU
2/3/2024 6:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EMU next hosts Toledo Tuesday, Feb. 6
DeKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – Sophomore Orlando Lovejoy netted a career-high 19 points in the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team's 76-66 loss at Northern Illinois University Saturday, Feb. 3, inside NIU's Convocation Center.
Lovejoy (Detroit, Mich./Summit Academy North) had 13 second-half points.
How It Happened
Despite NIU jumping ahead 6-0 in the opening minutes, EMU used a 14-4 run to take a 14-10 lead. The teams traded leads in the following minutes before the Eagles took its largest lead of the game at 30-24 with 2:39 to play in the opening period. EMU led 32-28 at the half.
The Huskies used a 15-2 spurt early in the second half to take a 43-36 edge.
NIU took its largest lead of the contest at 67-55 with 3:15 to play but EMU rallied to cut the deficit to 67-63 with 1:54 remaining before the Huskies pulled away.
Game Notes
» Eastern moved to 9-13 overall and 2-8 in Mid-American Conference play while Northern Illinois moved to 7-14 overall and 1-8 in the MAC.
» Eastern Michigan was 24-of-59 (40.7%) from the floor and 5-of-18 (27.8%) from three-point range while Northern Illinois was 21-of-54 (38.9%) from the field and 4-of-18 (22.2%) from deep.
» Junior Tyson Acuff (Detroit, Mich./Cass Technical/Duquesne) scored 14 points, marking his 24th-straight game scoring at least 11 points. Acuff's 24-consecutive games scoring at least 10 points are the most by an EMU player since 2000. Acuff ranks 46th in EMU history with 865 points as an Eagle.
» Lovejoy's 19 points topped his previous career high of 18 points in his collegiate debut against Wayne State University, Nov. 7, 2022.
» Lovejoy also recorded five assists and a career-high four steals. Lovejoy has at least one steal in 11 of the last 12 games. Lovejoy recorded at least three assists and three steals in the same game for the first time in his career.
» Lovejoy was 9-for-10 at the free throw line as his nine makes surpassed his career high of eight set against Wayne State, Nov. 7, 2022.
» Redshirt junior Yusuf Jihad (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington/Oakland) was 2-for-3 from three-point range. Jihad has multiple three-pointers made in seven games this season. Jihad had just four such games in three prior seasons. Jihad also tallied his eighth game with double-digit points this season with his 10-point performance.
» Junior Jalin Billingsley (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran East/Georgetown) netted a season-high 12 points, topping his previous high of 11 points, which he achieved three times. Billingsley scored 11 points at Western Michigan University, Jan. 23; against Ball State University, Jan. 16; and against Lake Superior State University, Dec. 1.
» Billingsley was 2-for-2 on three-pointers, marking his third career game with multiple three-pointers made. He previously made two triples against Wayne State University, Nov. 7, 2022, and against DePaul University, Feb. 24, 2022.
» EMU had four players (Lovejoy, 19; Acuff, 14; Billingsley, 12; Jihad, 10) score at least 10 points for the second time this season. The Eagles also had four players in double figures at Bowling Green State University, Jan. 2.
» Eight Eagles had at least one rebound in the first seven minutes of the contest. EMU was outrebounded, 40-34, moving to 2-11 in such games this season.
» EMU, which led 32-28 at halftime, moves to 7-2 on the season when leading or being tied at halftime.
» Eastern, which hit five threes against Northern Illinois, has now hit at least one triple in 604-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.
Historical Notes
» Saturday's meeting was the 105th all-time between Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois. EMU trails in the series, 59-46.
Next Up
Eastern Michigan is scheduled to host the University of Toledo Tuesday, Feb. 6, for a 7 p.m. tip inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
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