WBB Faces Road Test at #8/#9 Notre Dame Sunday

GAME #7: Women's Basketball at #8/#9 Notre Dame
Date	Sunday, Dec. 15 \| 2 p.m.
Venue	Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center (9,149)
Preview Info	EMU Notes (pdf)
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ACCNX
Listen	n/a
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics
Fan Information	Purchase Tickets

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) -- Following a two-week break in action for finals, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team returns to action Sunday, Dec. 15, as the Eagles will take on No. 8/No. 9 University of Notre Dame in a 2 p.m. contest inside Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center in South Bend, Ind. The Eagles (1-5) are coming off their first win of the year, a 72-60 defeat of Xavier University after trailing by 20 at the half, while the host Fighting Irish (8-2, 1-0 ACC) are coming off a 79-68 home win over No. 2 UConn, Dec. 12.

The game is set to tip off at 2 p.m. and will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX) with Karen Keyes and Tyler Reidy on the call. Live stats will be available at EMUEagles.com/livestats while periodic updates will be posted on the team's official X account (@EMUWBB).

FREE THROWS
» The Eagles picked up their first win of the season and the first under Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh with their 72-60 win over visiting Xavier, Dec. 1. Not only did EMU secure its first win of the season against Xavier, it did so by coming back from a 21-point deficit. After trailing, 43-22, with 2:38 remaining in the second, the Eagles went on a 50-17 run to win, including a 24-3 third quarter.
» Sisi Eleko averaged 27.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in her last two games to be named the MAC Player of the Week (Dec. 3). Eleko leads the MAC in scoring (23.2) and rebounds (11.0) and ranks 10th and third, respectively, among all NCAA Division I players. As of Dec. 10, Eleko is the only player in the nation that is averaging 21.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.
» Two other Eagles are ranked among the top 10 nationally with Mackenzie Amalia sitting 10th with 6.5 assists per game and Olivia Westphal eighth with 3.2 made three-pointers per game.
» The Eagles have tallied 5+ made three-pointers in their last seven games (including all six this season), which is the longest streak for the program since the 2019-20 season.
» Eastern enters its game at Notre Dame Sunday with an all-time record of 0-18 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of the game. The last game with a ranked foe was Dec. 20, 2020, in a 77-68 loss to then-No. 20 Gonzaga at the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic.
» Sahar Nusseibeh, the ninth head coach in Eastern program history, spent the previous three seasons leading the Canisius program. She is the first sitting head coach to be hired as EMU's head coach since 1998 when Suzy Merchant came from Saginaw Valley.

KNOW THE FOE: NOTRE DAME
The Fighting Irish enter the game with an 8-2 record and stand 1-0 in ACC play. Winners of three consecutive games, including home victories over then No. 4 Texas (80-70 OT) and No. 2 UConn (79-68), Notre Dame has climbed as high as No. 3 in the national rankings this season. Hannah Hidalgo leads the way offensively with 25.0 points per game, which ranks second nationally, Liatu King ranks fifth nationally with 11.1 rebounds per contest and Kate Koval stands second in the NCAA with 3.5 blocks.

ALL-TIME VS. NOTRE DAME
The Eagles are 0-4 all-time against the Fighting Irish and 0-2 when playing in South Bend. The last meeting between the two teams was Dec. 2, 2009, a 69-59 win for No. 5 Notre Dame on its home court. Additionally, the Eagles are 0-2 when playing against a nationally-ranked UND squad after dropping an 83-63 home decision, Dec. 2, 2008, to the visiting and No. 11-ranked Fighting Irish.

ALL-TIME VS. THE ACC
Eastern Michigan is 3-15 all-time against the current membership of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Eagles, who have played 10 of the current teams in the league, hold wins over Pittsburgh (2-2) and Boston College (1-1).

AGAINST RANKED FOES
The Eagles enter the game at No. 8/No. 9 Notre Dame in search of the program's first victory over a nationally ranked team. Eastern is 0-18 all-time against teams appearing in the Associated Press Top 25 with the most recent meeting coming Dec. 20, 2020, in a 77-68 loss to then-No. 20 Gonzaga at the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic.

MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The Eagles last played Dec. 1, a 72-60, come-from-behind home win over Xavier, to cap a 1-1 week of action. In those two games, which included a 72-61 loss at Detroit Mercy, Nov. 30, Sisi Eleko averaged 27.0 points and 10.5 rebounds to earn recognition as the MAC Player of the Week (Dec. 3). Eleko scored a career-high 31 points and added 14 rebounds at UDM before scoring 23 points in the win over Xavier, including 21 points in the second half to help the Eagles to their first victory this year.

BEEN A WHILE
The weekly MAC honor for Sisi Eleko is her first with Eastern and the first for an EMU player since Dec. 8, 2020, when Areanna Combs earned the accolade. Overall, Eleko is the 33rd EMU player to earn a weekly honor from the MAC with her award standing as the 68th in program history.

FIRST WIN
Not only did the win over Xavier snap a five-game skid to open the season, it also marked the first victory for Sahar Nusseibeh as the head coach of the EMU program. Nusseibeh, who spent the previous three seasons as the head coach at Canisius, is 33-65 all-time as a collegiate head coach.

COMEBACK COMPLETE
In EMU's last game, the Eagles played host to Xavier, Dec. 1, and found themselves trailing by 20 points at halftime, 45-25. Despite the deficit, the Eagles went to work in the third quarter and outscored the Musketeers, 24-3, to take a 49-48 lead after three. From there, Eastern continued its hot hand to outscore the visitors, 23-12, in the fourth and 47-15 combined in the second half to win by 12, 72-60. The last time the Eagles trailed by 10+ points in a game and came back to win was nearly one year ago as EMU came back to defeat IU Indy, 84-74 in overtime, Dec. 15, 2023, on the road. In that game, the Eagles trailed by 18 (27-9) with 1:03 remaining in the first quarter before chipping away at the lead. A 22-15 fourth quarter forced overtime where the Eagles outscored the Jaguars, 13-3, for the win.

NATIONALLY KNOWN
Through games played Dec. 10, Sisi Eleko holds the distinction of being the only player in NCAA Division I to average 21.0+ points and 11.0+ rebounds this season. The junior is currently averaging 23.2 points, which ranks seventh nationally, and 11.5 rebounds, which ranks third. In addition to also leading the MAC in both categories, Eleko's four double-doubles this year rank 23rd nationally as she leads the MAC in all three categories.

NOT THE ONLY ONE
Two other Eagles are among the best in the nation in a statistical category, including Olivia Westphal in three-pointers and Mackenzie Amalia in assists. Westphal leads the MAC and ranks eighth nationally with 3.2 made triples per game while Amalia tops the league and rank 10th in the NCAA with 6.5 helpers per game.

MOVING TOWARD MILESTONES
Four Eagles are nearing career milestones with three on track for scoring marks and one in assists. Sisi Eleko has tallied 882 points, leaving her 218 shy of 1,000 for her career while Olivia Smith (478) and ZaNiya Nelson (446) are 22 and 54 points, respectively, from reaching 500 career points. Mackenzie Amalia has dished 297 assists in her career, leaving her three shy of 300.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Sisi Eleko finished the Xavier game with 23 points and seven rebounds to record 20+ points in back-to-back games for the third time in her career and the first time as a member of the EMU program. Eleko, who last accomplished the feat with Canisius in road games against St. Peter's (24 points) and Rider (20), scored 21 points in the second half after recording just two in the opening 20 minutes of play. Eleko tallied 20+ points for the 12th time in her career and the fourth time in six games with the Eagles.

SISI WITH DUB-DUBS
Sisi Eleko has tallied a double-double four times this year, which ties for the most in the MAC and ranks 23rd nationally. Her four double-doubles are tied for 21st on the EMU all-time list (since 1999-00) and leaves her one shy of entering the top 20 where Kris Kachaturoff (1999-01), Erika Ford (2001-04), and Danielle Minott (2017-19) are all tied for 18th with five.

TRENDING UPWARD
Although just six games into the season, Sisi Eleko is already on pace to do something that hasn't happened in nearly 15 years: have an Eagle average 20.0 points for a season. EMU Hall of Famer and Ring of Honor inductee Tavelyn James was the last to do so when she ended the 2009-10 season averaging 20.7 points per game.

SHE'S HEATING UP
Prior to the Xavier game (Dec. 1), Sisi Eleko had made multiple three-point baskets in the same game just four times, including the four she made at Detroit Mercy, Nov. 26. With two triples against Xavier, Eleko marked the first time in her career she has made multiple three-pointers in back-to-back games. She also has made at least one three-pointer in four consecutive games, tying the longest streak of her career.

FINDING HER TOUCH
Brooklyn Thrash finished the Xavier game with 16 points, including four made three-point baskets, while adding six rebounds and three steals. She tied her career high, which she scored against Binghamton, Nov. 20, 2022, while playing for Canisius, and surpassed her season high of 15 points scored against Alabama A&M, Nov. 9. Additionally, the four makes from beyond the arc doubled her career high of two recorded nine times, including against AAMU earlier this year.

LONG RANGE SHOOTING
Through the first six games of the season, the Eagles are averaging a league-best 7.7 made three-pointers per game and, when including the five makes at home against Bowling Green, March 9, 2024, have connected on at least five triples in seven consecutive games. The current streak is the longest since the team accomplished the feat over seven games during the 2019-20 season, starting Nov. 8, 2019, against Olivet and ending with eight makes at Wichita State, Dec. 7, 2019. Should the Eagles connect on at least five made three-pointer at Notre Dame, they will match the 2018-19 squad with an eight-game streak that started Jan. 5, 2019, at Kent State and ended with five makes at home against Northern Illinois, Feb. 2, 2019.

LET IF FLY
Olivia Westphal connected on two more triples against Xavier, bringing her season total to 16 after making at least two from behind the arc in all five games she has played this season. Currently on a six-game streak of making two or more three-pointers, Westphal leads the MAC and ranks eighth nationally with 3.2 three-pointers per game. Prior to her current streak, she had only one instance of making two or more three-points in consecutive games which came last year with three at Ohio, Jan. 20, 2024, and two at Kent State, Jan. 24, 2024.

WELCOME BACK!
Jada Williams made her Eastern Michigan debut against Xavier as the transfer from St. Peter's came into the game in the second quarter and made an immediate impact. In the six minutes she played, Williams scored on a post move and drained both of her free throw attempts for four points, marking her first points since Nov. 15, 2023, at Illinois. Williams, who also added one rebound and one steal, last played in a game Nov. 19, 2023, at Marquette with SPU.

FIRST TIMES
Six players have made their EMU debuts this year with Jada Williams the latest to join the list after playing six minutes against Xavier, Dec. 1. Previously, rookies Chelsea Bishop (Nov. 21) and Olivia DiFranco (Nov. 9) saw their first action while transfers Mackenzie Amalia, Brooklyn Thrash, and Sisi Eleko each started in the opener against Texas State (Nov. 4). Additionally, Elena Cabello entered the game against Texas State, which marked her first game action since March 8, 2023, against Bowling Green in the MAC Tournament, after sitting out all last season with an injury.

NEW TO THE LINEUP
Elena Cabello made her first career start for the Eagles in the Xavier game after appearing in 23 games during the 2022-23 season and all five this season. Cabello, who missed the 2023-24 season with an injury, scored eight points, which tied her career high set Feb. 18, 2023, at Toledo, while tying a career high with two made three-point baskets, which she had done three times previously. The start came one game after her strong play at Detroit Mercy, Nov. 26. In the game, she opened the second quarter by scoring with a pair of layups to give her four points, her first of the season. Those points also marked her first in 633 days after she last scored for the Eagles March 4, 2023, when she tallied five points at Ohio. She sat out the entire 2023-24 season with an injury.

DISTRIBUTION
Mackenzie Amalia remains among the best passers in the league as her 6.5 assists per game rank her first in the MAC and 10th in NCAA Division I. She is coming off back-to-back games with double-digit point totals as well with 13 at Detroit Mercy and 10 at home against Xavier. She has accumulated 39 assists this year to bring her career total to 297.

ON THE HORIZON
Eastern returns to the road for two games next week when the Eagles take part in the UTRGV Holiday Classic, Dec. 19-20, in Edinburg, Texas. The Eagles will open competition Dec. 19 with a 6:30 p.m. CT (7:30 p.m. ET) game with the host Vaqueros of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley before closing the event Dec. 20 with a 4 p.m. CT (5 p.m. ET) meeting with the Islanders of Texas A&M University Corpus Christi.

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

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Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Amalia

Chelsea Bishop

Elena Cabello

Olivia DiFranco

Sisi Eleko

ZaNiya Nelson

Olivia Smith

Brooklyn Thrash

Olivia Westphal

Jada Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics