EMU WBB Plays Host to Alabama A&M Saturday

GAME #2: Women's Basketball vs. Alabama A&M
Date	Saturday, Nov. 9 \| 1 p.m.
Venue	George Gervin GameAbove Center (8,754)
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF)
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	WEMU (89.1 FM)
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics
Fan Information	Purchase Tickets

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team returns to action at home Saturday, Nov. 9, when the Eagles play host to the visiting Bulldogs of Alabama A&M University inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti.
The first meeting in the series is set to tip at 1 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+ where Brent Balbinot (play-by-play) and Claire Dau (analyst) will carry the action live from court side. Fans can also listen the game live on WEMU (89.1 FM) and The Varsity Network with Tom Helmer calling all the action. Live stats will be available HERE while periodic updates will be posted on the team's official Twitter account, @EMUWBB.

YOU CAN DO IT
Fans that donate at least one non-perishable canned good at the gates will receive a free ticket to see the Eagles and Bulldogs play. The promotion is part of a MAC-wide canned food drive with EMU and Buffalo battling one another for the most donations. The school that falls in the contest that ends Nov. 17 will see that school's athletic director wearing the winning team's colors during the Buffalo at EMU football game in Ypsilanti, Nov. 20. While one can equals one ticket, fans are encouraged to donate as many as they can to not only #BeatTheBulls, but also help those in need through Swoop's Pantry on campus with assistance from Kroger.

FREE THROWS
» The EMU offense scored 71 points in its four-point loss to Texas State in the season opener after reaching 70 points just three times all last season and averaged 57.3 points per game.
» Sisi Eleko announced herself well in the opener as she scored a career-high 28 points, the eighth-most in a game in the early season.
» Mackenzie Amalia likewise made herself known as the point guard dished out 12 assists, the most in a game this year and four more than her previous career high.
» Olivia Westphal drained the first five three-point shots she took on her way to a career-high 20 points. She currently ranks sixth in the MAC in scoring.
» The game against Texas State, Nov. 4, marked the first at the helm for Sahar Nusseibeh. The ninth head coach in program history, she spent the previous three seasons leading the Canisius program.

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT(S)
The Eastern offense scored 71 points in its opener with Texas State, Nov. 4. When looking back to last season, the 71 points would have ranked as the fourth-highest game total all year and the second-highest in a home game behind the 81-69 win over South Alabama, Feb. 10, 2024, in the second half of the MAC/SBC Challenge. All told, the 2023-24 Eagles averaged 57.3 points per game.

SACRE BLEU SISI!
Sisi Eleko made a big impression in her first game with the Eagles as she scored a career-high 28 points while adding nine rebounds, leaving her one shy of a double-double. Eleko, who was 11-of-16 from the floor, currently ranks tied for seventh in the NCAA for points per game (28.0) with her 28-point performance ranking as the fourth-highest number of points scored nationally on opening night.

WEST (ON THE) WING
Olivia Westphal picked up where she left off last season as the junior tallied 20 points against Texas State to give her back-to-back games with a career high in scoring after scoring 16 against Bowling Green, March 9, 2024. Westphal opened on a hot streak as he sank her first five attempts from three and finished 5-of-8 from behind the arc in the game and 7-of-11 overall. The five made three's mark the most she has scored in a game, surpassing the three she connected in a trio of games in her career.

ROLLIN' ON 20'S
With 28 points scored by Sisi Eleko and the 20 added by Olivia Westphal, the Eagles boasted two 20-point scorers in the same game for the first time in nearly six years. The last time it happened was Jan. 23, 2019, when Corrione Cardwell and Courtnie Lewis each scored 20 against Western Michigan in a home MAC contest.

DROPPIN' DIMES
Mackenzie Amalia entered her first game with EMU with a career-best eight assists recorded three different times, including against Siena (Feb. 17) last season with Canisius. The graduate student finished the game with 12, bettering her best by four dimes. Additionally, as a team last year, the Eagles recorded 12+ assists just nine times in 29 games.

HAPPY HELPER
The 12 assists from Mackenzie Amalia rank as the most in a single game in the NCAA this year and has her in the national lead with 12.0 assists per contest. Additionally, the last time an EMU player recorded 12+ assists in a single game was Feb. 4, 2012, when Desyree Thomas dished 13, tied for the second-most in a game in program history.

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADERS!
Eastern has four players sitting atop the early MAC individual statistical rankings, including Mackenzie Amalia, who leads in assists per game (12.0) and is tied for the lead in free-throw percentage (1.000). Sisi Eleko is tied for the league lead in scoring (28.0) while Olivia Westhphal, who ranks fifth in scoring (20.0) is the MAC-leader in three-point field goals per game (5.0).

ONE OF EVERYTHING
Brooklyn Thrash stuffed the stat sheet in her debut with the Eagles as she not only scored four points, but she also added a team-high three blocks, two steals, two assists, and three rebounds. No other Eastern player had at least one in each category in the game.

FIRST TIME
Three players made their EMU debuts in the game with Mackenzie Amalia, Brooklyn Thrash, and Sisi Eleko each earning a place in the starting lineup after transferring in from Canisius. Elena Cabello also saw her first action since March 8, 2023, against Bowling Green in the MAC Tournament after sitting out all last season with an injury.

KNOW THE FOE: ALABAMA A&M
The Bulldogs enter the contest with an 0-1 record following their season-opening, 84-59 home loss to No. 24 Alabama, Nov. 7. In the game, Kalia Walker led the way with 13 points while Darian Burgin added 10 points and team-high five assists. Alisha Wilson was big on the glass with 12 rebounds for AAMU.

ALL-TIME VS. ALABAMA A&M
For the second consecutive game, the Eagles will face an opponent for the first time in program history when the Bulldogs come to town.

ALL-TIME VS. THE SWAC
Eastern holds a 3-0 record all-time against members of the SWAC, the league in which Alabama A&M plays. All three of the games came against Florida A&M with the Eagles taking all three, including a 77-70 home win, Nov. 19, 2022.

ON THE HORIZON
Eastern will play its first road game of the season Monday, Nov. 11, when the Eagles venture north to East Lansing, Mich., to take on the Michigan State University Spartans inside the Breslin Center. The game, which will tip at 6:30 p.m., will be streamed live on the Big Ten Network Plus along with WEMU (89.1 FM) and The Varsity Network with Tom Helmer and Greg Steiner on the call.

FOLLOW US
Stay connected with the Eagles all season long by following @EMUWBB and @EMUAthletics on Twitter for all the latest EMU women's basketball updates. Be sure to also follow the Green and White on Instagram, @EMUWBB.

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Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Amalia

Elena Cabello

Sisi Eleko

Brooklyn Thrash

Olivia Westphal

Eastern Michigan Athletics