The Eastern Michigan men's basketball team flourished under the spotlight in front of their largest home crowd of the season and on national television at the George Gervin GameAbove Center for the first time since 2018.
It knocked off in-state foe Central Michigan 84-73, to secure a significant victory and further bolster their Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament bid.
With Detroit Pistons scouts looking on, this game also served as senior night for the Eagles—seniors Da’Sean Nelson, Jalen Terry, and Jalin Billingsley all shining bright as the three upperclassmen combined to score 60 of the team’s 84 points.
Eastern Michigan head coach Stan Heath lauded the Ypsilanti faithful for coming out in droves for the final home game of the campaign.
“It was tremendous—for the community to come out and support us, it meant everything to us. And we could hear them,” Heath said. “That extra boost really helped us, especially when they were trying to make those comebacks."
Unlike their previous outing earlier in the week against Bowling Green, when they trailed by 16 at halftime, the Eagles were the team up by 16 late in the opening half. They managed to protect their lead the rest of the way despite Central Michigan cutting their deficit to four points multiple times in the final frame.
“Those guys came out on the floor, they were ready to go and they were the aggressor. You have to be the aggressor,” Heath added in regards to his team’s fast start.
The Eagles hit nine of their first 13 shots and made 50% of their attempts in the first half, key catalysts to the home team’s early advantage that they would never relinquish.
The aforementioned dynamic duo of Nelson and Terry each added 25 points apiece; Nelson recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds while Terry shot 60% (6/10) from behind the arc, Christian Henry added 13 points of his own, and Jalin Billingsley contributed 10.
When asked about his star seniors and their key contributions, coach Heath did not hold back praise.
“[Nelson and Terry] have been through a lot. We’re glad they came here to Eastern Michigan for their last year, and they’ve made a huge difference in our program this year,” he said.
The win moves Eastern Michigan back above .500 with a 15-14 record (8-8 MAC). They now hold a clear path to qualifying for the MAC Tournament, currently sitting sixth in the conference. Meanwhile, Central Michigan falls to 13-16 (6-10 MAC), remaining on the outside looking into the bracket.
The Eagles' penultimate campaign game, March 4 at 7 p.m., will be a critical road test against the Ohio Bobcats. Viewers can stream the game live on ESPN+.
