Eastern Triumphs in Thrilling Comeback, Surpassing Wright State 86-82 After Halftime Struggle

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball squad rallied from an 11-point deficit at halftime to defeat Wright State, 86-82, on Saturday, Dec. 21, at the George Gervin GameAbove Center.

Da’Sean Nelson (Toledo, Ohio/Robert S. Rogers/Kilgore College/DePaul) achieved 27 points along with 13 rebounds while Jalen Terry (Flint, Mich./Beecher/Oregon/DePaul) contributed 21 points to aid the Eagles in securing the win.

How it Unfolded

Wright State established an early 12-9 advantage before an impressive 7-0 run by EMU propelled the Eagles to a 16-12 lead.

Eastern maintained the lead for the subsequent four minutes until the Raiders executed an 18-5 surge to finish the half and carry a 38-27 lead into the break.

Despite facing an 11-point deficit at halftime, the Eagles made a strong start in the second half, commencing the period with a 15-2 run to gain a 42-40 lead.

For the next 12 minutes, neither team established a lead greater than four points as they exchanged baskets throughout the second half until EMU achieved its largest lead of the contest at 84-77 when Arne Osojnik (Ljubljana, Slovenia/Dream City Christian) nailed a crucial three-pointer with 57 seconds remaining.

Wright State failed to convert three potential game-tying three-point shots in the last 30 seconds.

Game Insights

» Eastern improved to 6-5 overall while Wright State fell to 7-7 this season.

» Eastern Michigan shot 29-of-58 (50.0%) from the floor, and 9-of-23 (39.1%) from beyond the arc, while Wright State converted 31-of-60 (51.7%) of their shots from the field and 7-of-17 (41.2%) from three-point range.

» Nelson’s career-best 27 points eclipsed his previous high of 24 against Detroit Mercy, Nov. 30.

» Nelson’s career-high 13 rebounds surpassed his previous best of nine, achieved with DePaul against Marquette, Jan. 28, 2023.

» Nelson matched his career high with nine successful free throws, which he last accomplished against Detroit Mercy, Nov. 30.

» Terry marked his third game this season with a minimum of six successful three-pointers.

» Terry raised his scoring average to 16.8 points per game, leading the team.

» Yusuf Jihad (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington/Oakland) achieved a season-high 11 points, highlighted by a significant putback lay-up in the closing moments of the second half, while logging a season-high 25 minutes.

» Jalin Billingsley (Cleveland, Ohio Lutheran East Georgetown) matched his career-best with three assists.

» Eastern maintained a 36-25 edge on the boards, improving to 4-1 this season when out-rebounding their opponent.

» The Eagles advanced to 5-0 in contests decided by five points or less.

Statistical Milestones

» EMU achieved a 1-0 record against Wright State in the teams’ initial meeting.

» Eastern scored 59 points in the second half, a first since Dec. 9, 2020, when EMU recorded 64 points in the opening half against Adrian. The 59 points in the second half are the highest since Eastern netted 62 points in the last frame, Jan. 30, 2016 at Western Michigan.

» The Eagles came back from an 11-point halftime deficit for the first time since overcoming a 12-point halftime gap against Kent State, Jan. 6, 2024.

» EMU recorded 14 assists, marking the 10th consecutive game with at least 10 assists, the Eagles’ longest streak since a 13-game stretch in 2017-18.

» Eastern, which made nine three-pointers against Wright State, has now successfully hit a three-pointer in 623 straight games. EMU last failed to score from beyond the arc on Jan. 24, 2004, when Miami University restricted the Eagles to 0-of-7 from the three-point range. The Eagles have hit multiple three-pointers in 46 successive outings, not having done so most recently in a 1-for-15 effort against Akron, Feb.14, 2023. EMU’s 12 consecutive games with multiple three-pointers is their longest streak since a 15-game stretch spanning the 2020-21 to the 2021-22 season.

Next Game

Eastern Michigan will head to Davidson for a 2 p.m. matchup on Saturday, Dec. 28.

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