For the second time this season, the Ferris State men’s basketball team battled a NCAA Division I opponent.
The Bulldogs fell 76-60 to the Eastern Michigan Eagles on Jan. 4 in Ypsilanti in a non-conference regular-season contest. Prior to the season, Ferris had played the Indiana Hoosiers in an exhibition contest and came up short in overtime.
Ferris and Eastern Michigan were tied at 29 points with 4:30 left in the opening half. After a 9-3 Eagle run, Eastern Michigan held a 38-32 lead at halftime.
The Bulldogs never trailed by less than six points in the second half and did not make a serious threat for a comeback.
Ferris senior guard Darien Gay led all scorers with 23 points and was 9 of 11 shooting from the field. Senior center Justin Keenan added 14 points and nine rebounds in the Bulldog loss.
Three Eagle players tallied double-digit points in the game as the team shot 50 percent from the floor. The Eagles outrebounded the Bulldogs 38-25 in the game as well.
Ferris is 8-5 overall this season following the loss. The team returns to action Jan. 6 for a conference battle at home against Lake Superior State. The Bulldogs are 6-0 on their home court this season.
The remainder of Ferris’ regular-season games are against conference opponents. Ferris 4-2 in conference play and is sixth in the GLIAC standings through six games.