With a hint of Valentine’s Day magic still in the air, the Eagles were able to forget about the heartbreaking loss against the Ball State Cardinals in Tuesday’s matchup by dominating the Rockets with efficient scoring and red-hot shooting from behind the arc.
The Rockets and Eagles faced each other once this season in Toledo on Jan. 7, with the Rockets taking home a three-point victory. The first half started quickly, with Toledo shooting two free throws 20 seconds into the game, but after that, it was all Eagles as the Rockets did not have a lead the rest of the game. Da’Sean Nelson (Toledo, Ohio/Robert S. Rogers/Kilgore College/DePaul) was off to the races as he scored 13 of his 21 points within the first 10 minutes of the game, reaching a milestone by scoring his 1,000th career point. Efficiency was key in the first half, as the Eagles shot 65% from the floor while keeping the Rockets to just 40%.
Jalen Terry (Flint, Michigan/Beecher/Oregon/DePaul) began the game with a layup at the 18-minute mark and never stopped scoring, much to the dismay of any Rocket who had to guard him. His speed and ball-handling abilities allowed him to put defenders in the spin cycle as he raced by for the score. Terry scored 19 in the first half, going 8-8 from the field and helping the Eagles take a 10-point lead into halftime. Jalin Billingsley (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran East/Georgetown) and Arne Osojnik (Ljubljana, Slovenia/Dream City Christian) also scored in transition and grabbed rebounds off the board.
The second half looked like the first for both teams as Terry’s superb shooting continued. Toledo attempted to mount a comeback, pulling within three late in the second half, but they could never overcome the Eagles' efficient shooting display.
Terry didn’t miss a shot until 9:42 left in the second half and missed just one more the rest of the game. His movement and the team's passing allowed Terry to get open and take high-percentage shots from the field. Terry played all 40 minutes of the game, scoring a career-high 38 points on 88% shooting while also pulling eight rebounds.
Head coach Stan Heath highlighted Terry’s performance.
"I’ve seen some great performances, and that ranks up there," Heath said. "To be able to do that and do it efficiently, going 15/17. He only had a missed dunk and a blocked three — other than that, he was flawless, and he ran our team really well,” Heath said.
Eastern defeated Toledo with a seven-point victory and a final score of 80-73. Jalen Terry led both teams in scoring, followed by Da’Sean Nelson with 21 points. The victory brings the Eagles into seventh place in the MAC and an overall record of 12-13. With just six games left in the regular season, the Eagles aim to be one of the top eight teams in the MAC to secure a spot in the conference tournament in Cleveland, with an NCAA Tournament bid on the line.
After the game, Coach Heath talked beating the Rockets at home.
“They have been the dominant team in the league for many years, and we have been close several times and just haven’t been able to close it out," Heath said. "We were able to close it out tonight. They made a great comeback at the end, but our guys were able to get some key stops and buckets that helped seal it up.”
Catch the Eagles on Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the George Gervin GameAbove Center against the Miami RedHawks. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the radio at WEMU 89.1.
