The Jalin Billingsley (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran East/Georgetown) show was on Friday afternoon at the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
In his final home opener, the senior dropped a career-high 32 points and ten rebounds, including 17 in the first half, to give the Eastern Michigan men’s basketball team a much-needed bounce-back victory against Siena Heights, 83-58.
“[Jalin Billingsley] was really a big force for us,” Eagles head coach Stan Heath said after the game.
Alongside Billingsley, Jalen Terry (Flint, Michigan/Beecher/Oregon/DePaul) and Yusuf Jihad (Farmington Hills, Michigan/North Farmington/Oakland) also both added double figures to the scoreboard with 14 and 10 points respectively, Terry tallying nine rebounds in his near double-double effort.
The Eagles also posted an elite defensive effort, holding Siena Heights to a 35.4% field goal percentage (23/65) and a 20.7% mark from behind the arc (6/29). The Saints only scored 25 points the entire second half, a pivotal factor that helped Eastern Michigan pull away down the stretch.
“We stopped giving up easy baskets,” Heath said, explaining why the Eagles extended their lead from seven at the half to a game-high of 25 during the closing stages. “I think that triggered offense from our defense, and that’s what kinda gave us more of a cushion, some more transition baskets,” he added.
The Eagles improved to 1-1 on the campaign, while Siena Heights dropped to 0-3. Eastern Michigan bounced back strongly from a close loss earlier this week in the season opener against Texas State.
“Anytime you shake off the cobwebs from a game you didn’t play so well, that’s good for your psyche,” Heath said. “When you got young players on the team, you want to feel good emotionally,” he added.
The Eagles will return to action on Thursday, Nov. 14, at a matchup on the road against IU-Indianapolis, which is awaiting the squad. For more updates on Eastern Michigan basketball and other sports, follow The Eastern Echo.
