After the milestone victory over the University of Cincinnati on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025, the Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team returned to the George Gervin GameAbove Center for a Black Friday matchup to close out their busy holiday week.
On Nov. 28, 2025, the Eagles welcomed the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders for their third game in five days. The Highlanders were on a four-game losing streak and coming off losses from Cincinnati and the University of Louisville, the two teams that Eastern last played.
Eastern Michigan would extend the Highlanders’ losing streak to five, scoring a 73-55 victory at home to close out the month of November.
First Half
Sloppy offense and missed shots ruled much of the first ten minutes for the Eagles as an aggressive man-to-man defense by the Highlanders prevented the Eagles from finding a rhythm on the offensive side of the ball.
NJIT on the other hand found success shooting from beyond the arc, making 4-of-6 from three-point range to begin the game and building a 22-18 lead over the Eagles.
The Highlanders tempo continued to disrupt the Eagles, but they found some success in the paint with Godslove Nwabude and Mohammad Habhab. The two big men combined for 14 of the Eagles’ 31 points in the first half, leading all scorers with seven points each.
The bench for the Eagles contributed very little for the team after helping maintain the lead in the previous game through effective defense and efficient offense.
Nwabude made his presence felt on both sides of the ball as he racked up four blocks, two steals and seven rebounds to go along with his point total.
The Eagles managed to quiet the hot offensive start by the Highlanders and tie the game at 31-31 prior to the halftime buzzer. NJIT shot 50% from beyond the arc in the first half, which was a major concern for the Eagles when they returned in the second.
Second Half
The second half opened with Eastern refusing to let their sloppy start define the rest of the game and the Highlanders seeming to have run out of gas. With 17:45 remaining, a jumper from Jon Sanders II gave the Eagles the lead and they never looked back.
Suddenly, EMU’s offense found rhythm. Habhab, who had seven first-half points, poured in 15 second-half points to finish with 22, doing heavy damage inside and out.
Meanwhile, Nwabude continued to dominate, finishing with a career high 12 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and four steals — earning him his first career double-double. It was the first time this season that any college basketball player in the country posted such a stat line.
Beyond their stars, the Eagles got a lift from Sanders II who added 14 points along with Addison Patterson who dished out a season-high six assists, also contributing a career-best four steals.
Defensively, Eastern locked down: after surrendering 50% three-point shooting in the first half, the Highlanders managed just eight more third-quarter points, unable to find space or rhythm as EMU contested shots and closed driving lanes. As the clock dwindled, it was clear the momentum had swung decisively.
The win for the Eagles pushed the program to 5-3 on the campaign, now two straight victories for the team heading into the final stretch of non-conference action next month.
What’s Next
Eastern will travel to Indianapolis to take on the Butler University Bulldogs on Dec. 2, 2025, at 7 p.m. The game can be followed on TruTV or the WEMU radio network.
The Eagles next home game will be on Dec. 5, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. as they take on Cleary University. That game can be found on ESPN+ or on the WEMU radio network.
