The Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team dropped their second consecutive game on the road Saturday afternoon against the Western Michigan University Broncos. The final score was 61-54.
The loss drops the Eagles to 10-11 overall and 4-5 in Mid-American Conference play. It is the first time EMU has been under .500 in conference play since January 18, when they were 2-3. After the result, they are still tied for fifth in league play.
The game started heavily in favor of Western Michigan. In the first 13 minutes of play, the Broncos had the advantage, being up 18-7 early. After that, Eastern Michigan got right back into the game. They went on a 10-3 run over the next four minutes, which helped Eastern Michigan trail by only five, 23-18 at the break. The Green and White shot only 6-24 from the field (25%) in the first half.
Eastern Michigan was solid to start the second half, and their shooting woke up big time. They could even take the lead at one point, 31-28, with 13:30 to play. This was their first contest lead, and at the halfway point of the half, they were up 41-39.
From here on, the Eagles noticeably struggled. They only scored 13 points in the last 10 minutes. The first five minutes saw the Broncos go on a 12-4 run to take a six-point lead, 51-45. The Eagles' defense made some key stops and scored late to cut the lead to within one with 1:51 to play.
Da’Sean Nelson (Toledo, Ohio/Robert S. Rogers/Kilgore College/DePaul) made the first basket of this run, an and-one to make it 51-47. He made the three-throw, and it was a three-point game. The Broncos had one field goal to make it 53-48 before EMU made a second-chance tip-in by Nelson. The ensuing possession saw a Western Michigan turnover in which Eastern Michigan could draw a foul. Jalin Billingsley (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran East/Georgetown) made two free throws as the game was cut to one, 53-52.
After that, Western had the advantage, going on a 6-0 run to give them a 59-52 lead with time running out. They would ultimately win the game and join the Eagles as one of three teams at 4-5.
Because both offenses struggled considerably, individual performances were also down. The Eagles had two players score in double digits: Nelson, who had 20 points, and Christian Henry (Chicago, Illinois/The Skill Factory/Panola College), who had 12 points. Nelson was over 20 for the seventh time this season and the first time in four games. Henry also totaled five assists in addition to his 12 points.
Other performances worth noting for Eastern Michigan include Nelson’s 11 rebounds and Billingsley’s 10 rebounds. The 10 rebounds tied a career-high for Billingsley, and Nelson’s 11 rebounds were two away from a career-high.
Despite the loss, Eastern Michigan outrebounded the Broncos 38-36. The 38 rebounds are the fourth most Eastern has had in a game this year.
Road to Cleveland
Eastern Michigan is now 4-5 in Mid-American Conference play. As of 5:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 2, it is in a five-way tie for fifth place with Kent State, Ball State, Central Michigan, and Western Michigan. The top eight teams will go to Cleveland for the Mid-American Conference tournament.
Up Next, Eastern Michigan returns to the George Gervin GameAbove Center Tuesday night, February 4, to take on the Kent State Golden Flashes and the right to go to 5-5 in the conference. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. The game will be streaming on ESPN+ and can be listened to on WEMU 89.1 FM.
