Eagles Ring in New Year with WMU in MAC Opener

GAME #11: Women's Basketball vs. Western Michigan - MAC OPENER
Date	Wednesday, Jan. 1 \| 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 For Future Home Games

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EAGLE NATION!

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- After the ball drops to ring in the new year, the ball will go up on a new season as the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team will play host to rival Western Michigan University in the Mid-American Conference opener for both sides inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center Wednesday, Jan. 1. The 1 p.m. contest between the Eagles (1-9, 0-0 MAC) and Broncos (3-7, 0-0 MAC) will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Brent Balbinot (play-by-play) and Greg Steiner (analyst) on the call while fans can also listen live on WEMU (89.1 FM) and The Varsity Network app with Tom Helmer on the call from courtside. 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
» Eastern is set to play on New Year's Day for only the second time in program history and the second time at home. The first instance came 20 years ago (Jan. 1, 2005) in a 71-46 win over Columbia.
» The series with Western Michigan is the most-played in program history with the intrastate rivals set to meet for the 97th time this week. EMU leads, 53-43.
» Sisi Eleko scored 12 points and added 10 rebounds against St. Thomas (Dec. 28) to post her league-leading seventh double-double, which also ties for the 10th-most in NCAA Division I. Eleko also leads the MAC in points per game (19.8) and rebounds (11.4) while ranking 24th and sixth, respectively, on the national ledgers.
» Olivia Westphal continues to lead the MAC with 2.9 made three-pointers per game, which also ranks 20th nationally. She has drained 26 triples through nine games played this year after collecting just 23 in 28 games last year. She has made 2+ triples in 10 consecutive games dating back to last season.
» The Eagles connected on six three-pointers against St. Thomas (Dec. 28) to extend their current streak to 113 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 10 games played this year and 11 overall dating back to last season. The 11 games mark the longest streak since the 2013-14 season when the same squad opened their year on a 13-game streak.
» WMU Head Coach Shane Clipfell is quite familiar with Eastern as he served as the interim head coach for the Eagles during the 2006-07 season in which he guided the team to a 13-12 record.

KNOW THE FOE: WESTERN MICHIGAN
The Broncos enter their MAC opener with a 3-7 record and have split their last three games, including an 83-75 road loss at Purdue Fort Wayne, Dec. 21. Marina Asensio leads the team with 12.7 points per game while topping the team with 4.7 assists as well. Hannah Spitzley (11.0) and Alli Carlson (10.2) are both averaging double figures with Spitzley's 4.9 rebounds leading the way.

ALL-TIME VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN
Eastern holds a 53-43 edge in the all-time series and sits 29-16 when the game is played in Ypsilanti. The two teams have traded season sweeps in the past three seasons with the Broncos posting wins of 76-49 at EMU (Jan. 31, 2024) and 65-55 at WMU (Feb. 21, 2024). The last time the Eagles were victorious came Feb. 11, 2023, in a 68-58 home win.

SO, WE MEET AGAIN...
The series between the Eagles and Broncos is the most played in program history with the two programs having met 96 times previously (EMU leads, 53-43). Only three other series have been played 90+ times, including Central Michigan (94), Toledo (93), and Ball State (90).

FAMILIAR FACE: WESTERN MICHIGAN
WMU Head Coach Shane Clipfell is no stranger to Eastern Michigan as he served as the acting head coach during the 2006-07 season, posting a 13-12 overall record and a 10-6 mark in MAC play that saw the Eagles place second in the MAC West. Clipfell guided Eastern to the semifinals of the MAC Tournament where the Eagles fell to top-seeded Bowling Green, 71-57.

LID LIFTERS: MAC OPENER
The Eagles hold a record of 22-21 in the first conference game of the year since the start of MAC play during the 1981-82 season. Eastern has won two consecutive MAC openers, including a 67-49 win at Northern Illinois, Jan. 3, 2024. When the first MAC game of the year is played at home, the Eagles are 11-7 and have won two consecutive games, including a 68-67 defeat of Miami, Jan. 4, 2023.

Additionally, EMU is 2-1 when its MAC opener is against Western Michigan and 1-0 when the game is played in Ypsilanti. The last time the two teams met in a MAC opener was Jan. 10, 2013, a 56-52 road win for Eastern. The only time the opener was played in Ypsilanti was Jan. 8, 1992, an 82-38 EMU win.

LID LIFTERS: MAC HOME OPENER
The Eagles are 16-27 in their MAC home opener and saw their two-game winning streak snapped last year in a 48-35 loss to visiting Toledo, Jan. 6, 2024. Prior to the loss to the Rockets, Eastern defeated Miami, 68-67, Jan. 4, 2023, for its most recent win a MAC home opener. EMU has hosted WMU just one time in a MAC home opener, an 82-38 EMU victory, Jan. 8, 1992.

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 11 consecutive games. The current streak is the longest since the 2013-14 season when the Eagles opened the season with a streak of 13 consecutive games.

ANOTHER STREAK
The Eagles have recorded at least one made three-pointer in 113 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.

NATIONALLY KNOWN
Through games played Dec. 30, three Eagles continue to rank among the best in the nation in several categories. Sisi Eleko ranks sixth with 11.4 rebounds, 10th with seven double-doubles, and 24th with 19.8 points. Olivia Westphal is averaging 2.9 made three-pointers to rank 20th while Mackenzie Amalia is 27th with 5.5 assists per game.

MOVING TOWARD A MILESTONE
Sisi Eleko has tallied 941 points in her career, leaving her just 59 points shy of joining the 1,000-point club. With 198 points scored this season (through 10 games), Eleko is averaging 19.8 points, which, if she maintains that pace through the end of the regular season (29 games), she could reach 600 points for the season, which would rank her third in a single season for an EMU junior and seventh all-time on the program's single-season ledger.

Recently, two Eagles reached their own milestones as Makenzie Amalia recorded her 300th career assist (at UTRGV) and Olivia Smith surpassed 500 career points (vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi).

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.

In addition to her scoring, Eleko's 11.4 rebounds have her among the best in program history as well with only three players finishing the season averaging 10.0+ rebounds per game. Those players include Ce'Nara Skanes (2020-21) at 10.9, Felicia Hines (1984-85) at 11.7 (school record), and Suzanne Huff (1980-81) at 10.6.

ELITE COMPANY
Sisi Eleko also is on pace to do something done just two other EMU player have done in program history: average a double-double for the season. The first to do so was Felicia Hines, who tallied 12.0 points and 11.7 rebounds during the 1984-85 season. Ce'Nara Skanes was the most recent entrant to the list as she averaged 16.0 points and 10.9 rebounds per game during the 2020-21 season.

SISI WITH DUB-DUBS
Sisi Eleko has tallied a double-double seven times this year, which is the most in the MAC and ranks 10th nationally. Her seven double-doubles are 15th on the EMU all-time list (since 1999-00) with Tayra Eke (2022-24) and Areanna Combs (2019-22) sitting 13th with 10.

LET IF FLY
Olivia Westphal connected on four triples at home against St. Thomas (Dec. 28), bringing her season total to 26 after making at least two from behind the arc in all nine games she has played this season. Currently on a 10-game streak of making two or more three-pointers, Westphal leads the MAC and ranks 20th 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 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 26 three pointers in nine games this year, which is three more than 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 nine games this year after she made 1+ three-point shots in 12-of-28 games last year. If she is able to maintain her current pace, Westphal could make at least 70 three-pointers this season, something that hasn't happened since the since 2015-16 season when both Janay Morton (76) and Cha Sweeney (70) accomplished the feat.

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
Eastern returns to action and the road when the Eagles venture to Bowling Green, Ohio, to take on the Bowling Green State University Falcons, Saturday, Jan. 4, in EMU's first road MAC contest of the year. The game inside the Stroh Center is set for a 7 p.m. tip-off and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

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

Tayra Eke

Sisi Eleko

Olivia Smith

Brooklyn Thrash

Olivia Westphal

Jada Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics