Jan. 25 was a big day for the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team. Not only did their 90-77 victory against Buffalo mark their third conference play win in a row, the first time the team has achieved that feat since the 2019-20 season, but it was also a milestone triumph for Eagles head coach Stan Heath.
The Eastern Michigan alumnus, who played for the school from 1984 to 1987 and graduated in 1988, notched his 250th win as a college basketball head coach. This is his 41st since returning to Ypsilanti to coach the Eagles in 2021.
“I’m really blessed. Longevity in this business is hard,” Heath said, when asked what such a milestone achievement meant. “I’ve been very fortunate, and to do it at my alma mater is even more special for me."
Heath is coaching a red-hot Eagles team at the moment, scoring 90+ points in each of their last two games and winning over conference foes.
“Look at the assist numbers. You can see 16 assists. We’re sharing the ball, we’re moving it more — we have some pretty talented offensive players,” he said.
Five Eagles players reached double figures in this game: Christian Henry (Chicago, Illinois/The Skill Factory/Panola College) and Jalin Billingsley (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran East/Georgetown) each with 18 points, Da’Sean Nelson (Toledo, Ohio/Robert S. Rogers/Kilgore College/DePaul) with 17 , Yusuf Jihad (Farmington Hills, Michigan/North Farmington/Oakland) with a season-high 15, and Jalen Terry (Flint, Michigan/Beecher/Oregon/DePaul) with 12.
With their three straight Mid-American Conference (MAC) wins, Eastern Michigan crossed back above .500, improving to 10-9 (4-3 MAC), while Buffalo fell to 6-13 (1-6 MAC) after suffering their second straight loss in conference play.
Next time, the Eagles look to score a fourth successive MAC win for the first time since 2018 — a trip to Miami (OH) on the docket for this Tuesday at 7 p.m. Viewers can stream the game live on ESPN+.
