Despite rallying back from a 13-point halftime deficit and briefly taking the lead late in the second half, the Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team fell short in a 90-87 loss to the University of Toledo on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at Savage Arena.
The Eagles trailed 16 points in the first half but fought back with a strong start to the second half, using an 11-4 run to cut the deficit to three at 50-47. The team tied the game multiple times and eventually took a 74-73 lead with 2:48 remaining after Christian Henry (Chicago, Illinois/The Skill Factory/Panola College) sank two free throws. However, Toledo responded with a quick 4-0 run and pushed their lead to eight points in the final seconds. Henry’s half-court buzzer-beater narrowed the final score to 90-87.
Christian Henry led the Eagles with 25 points, including a career-high five three-pointers. Jalen Terry (Flint, Michigan/Beecher/Oregon/DePaul) added 23 points, marking his fifth 20-point game. At the same time, Da’Sean Nelson (Toledo, Ohio/Robert S. Rogers/Kilgore College/DePaul) contributed 20 points, extending his streak to 10 consecutive games with double-digit scoring. It was the first time three Eagles scored 20 or more points in a game since 2017.
Eastern Michigan shot 55.4% from the field and 43.5% from beyond the arc, while Toledo finished at 51.7% and 44.4%, respectively. The Eagles also continued their strong performance in close games, improving to 6-1 in contests decided by four points or fewer, leading the nation in such wins.
The Eagles now hold a 7-7 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the MAC, while Toledo improved to 8-6 overall and 2-0 in conference play. Eastern Michigan returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 11, hosting Akron at approximately 3:30 p.m. following the EMU women’s basketball game; for the latest updates, follow The Eastern Echo.
