In a Mid-American Conference showdown at the George Gervin GameAbove Center, the Eastern Michigan Eagles (9-9, 3-3 MAC) delivered a dominant second-half performance to soar past the Northern Illinois Huskies (5-11, 1-4 MAC) with a 77-59 victory. The Tuesday night contest, held before a crowd of 1,749 fans, saw the Eagles turn a razor-thin halftime lead into a decisive double-digit win, marking their third consecutive victory over the Huskies.
A tight tussle in the first half
The game began as a defensive struggle with both teams fighting for rhythm. NIU opened the scoring early with a layup by Gustav Winther, followed by a three-pointer from Makhai Valentine to jump out to a 5-0 lead. However, Eastern Michigan quickly responded as Addison Patterson and Mohammad Habhab attacked the paint.
The first twenty minutes featured seven lead changes and four ties. Despite the Huskies’ early pressure, the Eagles clawed ahead, heading into the locker room with a narrow 28-26 lead. While the shooting percentages remained modest in the opening frame—EMU at 38.7% and NIU at 31%—the stage was set for an explosive second half.
The Eagles take flight
Whatever was said in the Eagles' locker room at halftime clearly worked. Eastern Michigan emerged for the second half with a blistering offensive efficiency, shooting a remarkable 60% from the field (18-of-30) in the final period.
The surge was led by senior Patterson, who finished the night with 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Supporting him was Habhab, who put up a stellar double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while also facilitating the offense with a team-high 6 assists.
NIU attempted to stay within striking distance behind Makhai Valentine, who matched Patterson’s game-high 20 points. However, the Huskies struggled to contain EMU’s interior presence, as the Eagles outscored NIU 44-30 in the paint.
Depth and defense seal the deal
A major factor in the Eagles’ pull-away victory was the contribution from their bench. Eastern Michigan’s reserves outscored Northern Illinois’ bench 25-8. Gregory Lawson II was the catalyst off the pine, providing a spark with 13 points, including a perfect 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Defensively, the Eagles stifled the Huskies’ attempts to mount a comeback. Godslove Nwabude anchored the interior defense with 3 blocks, while Aidan Rubio added 2 blocks of his own, helping EMU record a total of 8 blocks compared to NIU’s 2. The Eagles’ ability to turn defense into offense was evident in their 16 points off turnovers and 17 fast-break points.
Looking ahead to the Falcons
With this victory, Eastern Michigan levels its overall record at 9-9 and improves to .500 in conference play. The win further solidifies their recent dominance in the rivalry, as they have now won three straight against NIU and improved their home record in the series to 33-23. The Eagles will look to maintain their momentum as they head on the road to face Bowling Green. This pivotal MAC matchup is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at 1 p.m. at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio. Fans unable to attend in person can stream the game live on ESPN+ or tune in to the radio broadcast on WEMU and the Varsity Network. As Eastern Michigan seeks to build on its current one-game winning streak, this contest serves as a prime opportunity to climb the league standings.
