Da’Sean Nelson (Toledo, Ohio/Robert S. Rogers/Kilgore College/DePaul), take a bow.
The senior starting forward had a career day in the MAC season opener against Northern Illinois, dropping 16 points apiece in both halves with multiple momentum-shifting dunks towards the end of the game and leading Eastern Michigan to a critical 75-71 victory over Northern Illinois at home to open conference play.
“He’s [Nelson’s] the man out there,” head coach Stan Heath said.
“He finds ways to get things done, and we needed him,” Heath added.
Nelson’s 32 points were the most by an Eagle in nearly a calendar year, shooting a career-high 12/20 (60%) from the field and continuing his career-best streak of nine straight games with double-digit points.
Elsewhere, Jalin Billingsley (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran East Georgetown) and Christian Henry (Chicago, Illinois/The Skill Factory/Panola College) also contributed double-digit points to the Eagles’ 75-point total, Billingsley with 15 points on an efficient 5/7 (71.4%) shooting. At the same time, Henry tallied 13 on 5/10 (50%) from the floor.
Eastern Michigan struggled shooting in the first half, only shooting 11/29 (37.9%) from the floor and 2/12 (16.7%) behind the arc. However, the second half bore more fruitful results. The team turned in a 51.6% shooting percentage and held Northern Illinois to a 32% field goal percentage (8/25) on the defensive end.
Twenty points off turnovers for the Eagles, compared to only eight for the Huskies, made the difference in the end. Eastern Michigan is powering onto a 7-6 record, now 1-0 in conference play, while Northern Illinois dropped to 4-9, 0-1 to open their MAC campaign.
Next time out, the Eagles go back on the road. This Tuesday at 7 p.m., they will play another conference showdown with Toledo. Viewers can stream the game live on ESPN+.
