The Eastern Michigan University basketball team hosted Georgia State University at the George Gervin GameAbove Center in their home opener on Nov. 11, as part of the Mid-American Conference/Sun Belt Challenge. It would end favorably for the Eagles as they won 70-60.
Capturing a building block type of win, they also got to see good production from both returning and new members of the team as they were led by junior Tyson Acuff and freshman Arne Osojnik, as they finished with 15 points and 18 points respectively.
“We want to play unselfish, we want to play team basketball. When we do that, we’re at our best," head coach Stan Heath said. "Tonight, you saw flashes of unselfish play, guys trying to play together, make simple plays with each other. And when you do that, the game is fun. It’s fun to watch."
Furthermore, getting such solid production from Osojnik. Many freshman players could wince at the brighter lights, but Osojnik stood
tall. “That’s what he does, he’s a shooter and he knows he needs to shoot it," Heath said. "When he came into the game, he did damage. And obviously, today, you can see what he’s capable of doing."
The Eagles ran out to an early 20-10 lead after a 7-0 run that would keep EMU in a good position within the first half of play. Georgia State would then find themselves some buckets, but the Eagles would remain in the lead and enter halftime with a 40-23 advantage.
Georgia State entered the second half with some substantial adjustments since cutting into the Eagles lead, 51-40, but EMU's bench play would contribute to a 70-60 win over Georgia Southern.
The Eagles shot the ball well and finished 25-of-52 from the field (48.1%), while going 7-of-22 from three-point range (31.7%).
The win would mark EMU's 16th straight non-conference home-opening victory as they haven't lost a non-conference home opener since Nov. 9, 2007, when the Eagles fell to Brown University, 74-55.
Coach Heath and the Eagles are confident about their win and will look forward to carrying this momentum as their next contest will be against 10th-ranked Florida Atlantic on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at their home court. That contest will start at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
To stay up-to-date on the EMU men's basketball team, you can visit The Echo's website.
