WBB Wraps UTRGV Holiday Classic Against TAMU-CC

GAME #9: Women's Basketball vs. TAMU-CC (UTRGV Holiday Classic)
Date	Friday, Dec. 20 \| 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT)
Venue	UTRGV Fieldhouse (9,149)
Preview Info	EMU Notes (pdf)
Live Stats	Fan Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	n/a
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics
Fan Information	Purchase Tickets For Future Home Games

EDINBURG, Texas (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team is set to face the Islanders of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in the second of two games at the UTRGV Holiday Classic, Dec. 20, in Edinburg, Texas, with the Eagles looking to close the tournament with a win before the holiday break. The Eagles (1-7) are coming off a tough, 73-66 overtime loss to host University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Dec. 19, while the Islanders (6-4) were victorious over the University of Missouri Kansas City, 64-59, in the first game of the UTRGV Holiday Classic. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with live stats available at EMUEagles.com/livestats while periodic updates will be posted on the team's official X account (@EMUWBB).

FREE THROWS
» The loss to UTRGV marked the Eagles' first overtime game of the year and the 52nd in program history. Eastern is now 23-28 all-time in overtime games and 19-24 in single overtime contests.
» The Eagles connected on seven three-pointers against UTRGV to extend its current streak to 112 consecutive games with at least one made triple. The last time EMU was held without a three-pointer was Nov. 29, 2020, against UIC (0-of-15).
» Speaking of three-pointers, the Eagles have made at least five triples in all eight games played this year and nine overall dating back to last season. The streak ties the longest streak since the 2013-14 season with the same squad opening their year on a 13-game streak as well.
» Sisi Eleko secured her fifth double-double of the year by scoring 18 points and adding 17 rebounds against UTRGV. The MAC leader in double-doubles, she continues to lead the league in points (20.9) and rebounds (11.3) and ranks 14th and seventh, respectively, in NCAA Division I.
» Mackenzie Amalia has scored 10+ points in four consecutive games, the longest streak in her career. Her 18 points against UTRGV are a season high and just two shy of her career-best. With her points and three assists, Amalia currently has 700 career points and 300 career assists.
» Elena Cabello dished a team-high-tying three assists against UTRGV, which also smashed her career-high after recording just one helper in 10 different games in her career.
» Olivia Westphal hit two three-pointers against UTRGV, giving her 20 on the season and a MAC-best 2.9 triples per game. She scored 23 total three-pointers all of last year.
» Sahar Nusseibeh, the ninth head coach in Eastern program history, she 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: TAMU-CC
The Islanders are 6-4 on the year after opening the season with a 62-56 win at SEC foe Texas A&M and 1-0 against teams not from the state of Texas after defeating Kansas City, 64-59, Thursday night in the opener of the UTRGV Holiday Classic. Mireia Aguado (10.9) and Paige Allen (10.7) lead the offense for the Islanders with Allen setting the pace on the glass with 9.4 rebounds per game and Aguado leading the team with 3.8 assists.

ALL-TIME VS. TAMU-CC
The game between the Eagles and Islanders will be the first meeting between the two schools.

ALL-TIME VS. THE SOUTHLAND
Eastern holds an all-time record of 4-3 against the current membership of the Southland Conference. Along with their 1-2 record against UTRGV, the Eagles hold 1-0 records against Incarnate Word, Lamar, and New Orleans, while sitting 0-1 against McNeese. EMU and TAMUCC will meet for the first time this week to add the sixth member of the league to the results page for the Eagles.

Updated Notes Following Game at UTRGV
LONG RANGE SHOOTING
The Eagles are averaging a 7.4 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 nine consecutive games. The current streak is the longest since the 2013-14 season at nine games. That stretch began Jan. 26, 2014, with 10 makes at home against Akron and ended with five makes at Western Michigan, Feb. 26, 2014. Eastern is chasing a streak of 13 consecutive games the 2013-14 team posted to open its season.

ANOTHER STREAK
The Eagles have recorded at least one made three-pointer in 112 consecutive games, the third-longest stretch since the start of the 1999-00 season. The longest streak in that period is 281 games, which started with seven makes at Northern Illinois, Jan. 31, 2002, and ended with no makes in the MAC Tournament, March 11, 2011, against Toledo. The second longest streak lasted 157 games and started Dec. 9, 2014, until no makes halted the streak, Nov. 29, 2020, against visiting UIC. Since that game, however, the Eagles have made at least one three-pointer, a stretch of 111 games to date.

NATIONALLY KNOWN
Through games played Dec. 19, Sisi Eleko holds the distinction of being the only player in NCAA Division I to average 20.0+ points and 11.0+ rebounds this season. The junior is currently averaging 20.9 points, which ranks 14th nationally, and 11.3 rebounds, which ranks seventh. In addition to also leading the MAC in both categories, Eleko's five double-doubles this year rank 22nd 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 22nd nationally with 2.9 made triples per game while Amalia is third in the league and ranks 37th in the NCAA with 5.63 helpers per game.

MOVING TOWARD MILESTONES
Two Eagles are nearing career milestones for points scored with another having recently reached a mark in assists. Sisi Eleko has tallied 910 points, leaving her 90 shy of 1,000 for her career while Olivia Smith (499) is just one from reaching 500 career points. Mackenzie Amalia has dished 300 assists in her career after handing out three against UTRGV.

SISI WITH DUB-DUBS
Sisi Eleko has tallied a double-double five times this year, which ties for the most in the MAC and ranks 22nd nationally. Her five double-doubles are tied for 18th on the EMU all-time list (since 1999-00) with Kris Kachaturoff (1999-01), Erika Ford (2001-04), and Danielle Minott (2017-19).

TRENDING UPWARD
With her strong start to 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 averaged 20.7 points in 2009-10.

LET IF FLY
Olivia Westphal connected on two more triples at UTRGV, Dec. 19, bringing her season total to 20 after making at least two from behind the arc in all seven games she has played this season. Currently on an eight-game streak of making two or more three-pointers, Westphal leads the MAC and ranks 22nd nationally with 2.9 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.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE BEHIND THE ARC
Olivia Westphal has made 20 three pointers in seven games this year, leaving her just three shy of equaling her total from the 2023-24 season when she scored 23 three-pointer in 28 games (0.8 per game). Additionally, Westphal has scored 2+ triples in all seven games this year after she made 1+ three-point shot in 12-of-28 games last year.

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 comes 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.

ON THE HORIZON
Following the holiday break, the Eagles will return to action Dec. 28 when they play host to the Tommies of St. Thomas University (Minnesota) in a 2 p.m. game inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and broadcast live on WEMU (89.1 FM) and The Varsity Network with Tom Helmer on the call.

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).

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Amalia

Chelsea Bishop

Elena Cabello

Olivia DiFranco

Sisi Eleko

Olivia Smith

Brooklyn Thrash

Olivia Westphal

Jada Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics