Eastern Michigan University
1-0,0-0MAC
Coastal Carolina
0-1,0-0Sun Belt
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Mich. | 34 | 37 | 71 |
| Coastal Carolina | 37 | 33 | 70 |
11/2/2026 11:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Habhab scored 34 points with 13 rebounds
Billy Donlon Postgame Quote
CONWAY, S.C. (EMUEagles.com) – Mohammad Habhab came off the bench to score 34 points and grab 13 rebounds, powering the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team to a 71-70 road victory over Coastal Carolina University, Monday, Nov. 2, inside the HTC Center in Conway, S.C., as part of the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Conference Challenge.
Habhab (Dearborn, Mich./Fordson/Central Michigan) delivered one of the most remarkable performances in recent program memory, coming off the bench to score 34 points and grab 13 rebounds in 34 minutes — a double-double that set new EMU Men's Basketball 2026-27 career highs in points and free throws made. The redshirt sophomore attacked the rim relentlessly, going 18-of-21 from the free throw line — tying the record since 2015 for made free throws in a single game, matching Andy Shepard's 18 at Central Michigan on Jan. 6, 1955 — while also shooting 7-of-16 from the field and 2-of-3 from three. Habhab's 34 points surpassed his previous career high of 24, and his 18 made free throws set a new personal best. Head Coach Billy Donlon said "Mohammad Habhab was sensational, played like a player of the year."
Jaiden Martin (Milwaukee, Wisc./Dominican/Parkland CC) made an emphatic EMU debut as a starter, scoring 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting with three three-pointers, two rebounds, one assist and three steals in 34 minutes. Kaden Johnson (Hartford, Mich./Hartford/Huntington) also made his Eagle debut in the starting lineup, contributing eight points on 4-of-9 shooting, five rebounds, three assists and a team-high two blocks in 28 minutes.
The game was a back-and-forth battle from wire to wire, with the lead changing hands 13 times and the score tied 11 different times. Eastern Michigan's bench supplied 39 of the team's 71 points, and the Eagles converted 13 Coastal Carolina turnovers into 13 points while committing only seven of their own.
How It Happened
The season opener was a tightly contested affair from the opening tip. Neither team could establish separation early, with the score tied multiple times in the opening minutes as both sides traded baskets inside the HTC Center.
Coastal Carolina seized the early initiative, using its size advantage to score 18 points in the paint in the first half and collect 12 second-chance points off 14 offensive rebounds in the opening period. The Chanticleers pushed their lead to as many as three possessions at points in the first half, but Eastern Michigan answered each time. The Eagles shot 45.8% from the field in the opening half and used the free throw line — going 6-of-11 — to stay within striking distance. Coastal Carolina led 37-34 at the break.
Eastern Michigan came out of the locker room and immediately began chipping away. The Eagles tied the game early in the second half and the two teams continued to trade the lead, with the score knotted 11 times across the full 40 minutes and the lead changing hands 13 times in all.
The free throw line became the decisive battleground in the second half. EMU converted 17-of-18 attempts from the stripe in the final period — compared to just 7-of-11 for Coastal Carolina — building a cushion that the Chanticleers could not overcome despite outrebounding the Eagles 40-32 for the game. Eastern Michigan's field goal shooting dipped to 34.5% in the second half, but the Eagles more than compensated at the charity stripe, where Habhab's 18 made free throws tied the program record set by Andy Shepard at Central Michigan on Jan. 6, 1955.
Ball security proved equally decisive. Eastern Michigan committed only two turnovers in the second half — nine fewer than Coastal Carolina over the same stretch — and converted the Chanticleers' miscues into points on the other end. EMU turned 13 Coastal Carolina turnovers into 13 points for the game.
"That grit and grind that you need to be a great basketball team, we showed it," Donlon said. "I want our team to play like the work ethic of Eastern Michigan University, and we did that tonight."
Martin provided crucial outside shooting throughout the game, knocking down three three-pointers to keep the Chanticleers' defense honest. Johnson anchored the interior defensively with two blocks, while Braelon Green (Southfield, Mich./Southern California Academy/Arizona State/Bowling Green) orchestrated the offense with a team-high four assists.
Jabri Fitzpatrick (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick Township/New Haven) came off the bench to add three steals, tying Martin for the team lead and helping EMU finish with only seven turnovers for the game. Donlon credited Fitzpatrick and Green specifically for addressing a turnover problem the team had been working through. "Jabri Fitzpatrick and Braelon Green, we've been turning the ball over and Jabri Fitzpatrick and Braelon Green were phenomenal," Donlon said.
Eastern Michigan outscored Coastal Carolina 37-33 in the second half. When the final buzzer sounded, the Eagles had secured a 71-70 road victory — one point the difference in a game that was never decided until the end.
Game Notes
» Eastern moves to 1-0 overall while Coastal Carolina moves to 0-1 overall.
» Eastern Michigan shot 21-of-53 (39.6%) from the field and 6-of-14 (42.9%) from three-point range.
» Coastal Carolina shot 26-of-61 (42.6%) from the field and 7-of-24 (29.2%) from three-point range.
» Eastern Michigan drew 29 free throw attempts — 13 more than Coastal Carolina's 16 — and converted 23-of-29 (79.3%) from the charity stripe. The free throw advantage proved decisive in the one-point win.
» The Eagles committed only seven turnovers for the game while forcing 13 from Coastal Carolina, converting those miscues into 13 points.
» Eastern Michigan's bench scored 39 points, led by Mohammad Habhab's 34-point effort off the bench.
» Mohammad Habhab finished with 34 points, 13 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in 34 minutes — a double-double in his 2026-27 debut. His 34 points are a new EMU Men's Basketball 2026-27 career high, surpassing his previous best of 24. His 18 made free throws tied the program record for made free throws in a single game, matching Andy Shepard's mark set at Central Michigan on Jan. 6, 1955. His 21 free throw attempts are the second-most in a single game since 2015, trailing only current assistant coach John Bowler, who attempted 24 against Toledo on Feb. 22, 2006.
» Jaiden Martin scored 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting with three three-pointers, three steals, two rebounds and one assist in 34 minutes as a starter in his EMU debut.
» Kaden Johnson contributed eight points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 28 minutes as a starter in his EMU debut. His two blocks led the team.
» Braelon Green posted five points, three rebounds and a team-high four assists in 25 minutes.
» Jabri Fitzpatrick recorded three steals, three rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes off the bench in his EMU debut, tying Jaiden Martin for the team lead in steals.
» Seven players made their EMU debuts in this game: Kaden Johnson, Jabri Fitzpatrick, DaCory Porter, Jordan Wright, Kilian Brockhoff, Jaiden Martin and Aviv Aronov.
» EMU made at least one three-pointer for the 679th consecutive game, extending a streak that dates to Jan. 24, 2004.
Historical Notes
» Eastern Michigan leads the all-time series against Coastal Carolina, 2-0. The only prior meeting was a 76-58 EMU victory on Nov. 29, 1991, at the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska — a gap of 35 years between meetings.
» EMU improved to 4-3 all-time in the MAC-SBC Challenge with the win. The road victory also snapped a three-game road losing streak in the Challenge, as EMU had been 0-3 away from home in the event entering tonight.
» Eastern Michigan improved to 75-55 all-time in season openers across 130 seasons. It is the program's 13th win in 43 road season openers all-time (13-30).
» Head Coach Billy Donlon earned his first win at Eastern Michigan in his debut, improving to 1-0 with the Eagles. Donlon noted the significance of the result: "We kept a really good Coastal Carolina team at bay. They can really score. That's a team that won 19 games last year. So there's a lot to be proud of."
Up Next
» Eastern travels to Xavier University for a Friday game, Nov. 6, and will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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