Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
0-0,0-0MAC
Michigan
0-0,0-0Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Mich. | 28 | 34 | 62 |
| Michigan | 39 | 48 | 87 |
Men's Basketball Drops Exhibition to Defending National Champion Michigan
10/11/2026 6:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Eastern starts season Nov. 2 at Coastal Carolina
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team opened the 2026-27 preseason Sunday, Oct. 11, with an 87-62 exhibition loss to defending national champion Michigan at Crisler Center. The game marked Head Coach Billy Donlon's EMU debut.
"We've got to get back to practice, work hard," Donlon said. "We've got good guys in that locker room. We didn't perform very well tonight. Certainly, Michigan's got a lot to do with that. And then we've got to coach them better. We've got to help our guys better than we did today."
How It Happened
Michigan controlled the game from the opening tip, leading wire-to-wire without a single lead change or tie. Eastern trailed, 31-28, before the Wolverines took a 39-28 advantage into halftime and extended it in the second half, outscoring Eastern 48-34 to close out the 87-62 final.
Eastern's interior play was a bright spot — the Eagles posted 44 points in the paint compared to Michigan's 32 — but three-point shooting proved a significant obstacle. EMU connected on just two of 11 attempts from beyond the arc (18.2%) while the Wolverines made 12 of 31 (38.7%), a difference that largely accounted for the margin. Michigan also converted 16 points off Eastern turnovers to EMU's four.
Mohammad Habhab (Dearborn, Mich./Fordson/Central Michigan) was Eastern's most productive shooter from the field, going 5-of-9. Sencire Harris (Canton, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary's/Cincinnati/West Virginia/Illinois) and Emanuel Richards (Irmo, S.C./Christ School/Longwood) each shot 4-of-6, with Richards connecting on one of two three-point attempts — one of only two Eagles to make a three on the afternoon. Jabri Fitzpatrick (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick Township/New Haven) was the other, going 1-of-2 from deep in 12 minutes.
Game Notes
» EMU shot 26-of-51 (51.0%) from the field, 2-of-11 (18.2%) from three and 8-of-19 (42.1%) from the free-throw line. Michigan shot 30-of-60 (50.0%) from the field, 12-of-31 (38.7%) from three and 15-of-23 (65.2%) from the free-throw line.
» Eastern posted 44 points in the paint against the Wolverines' 32, controlling the interior despite the 25-point final margin.
» Michigan led wire-to-wire — the lead changed zero times and the score was tied zero times.
» EMU's bench contributed 26 points; Michigan's bench scored 29.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan travels to face Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., Monday, Nov. 2, as part of the MAC-SBC Challenge.
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For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media, including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).
