WBB Travels to Face Ohio Saturday Afternoon

GAME #18: Women's Basketball at Ohio
Date	Saturday, Jan. 25 \| 1 p.m.
Venue	Convocation Center (13,000)
Preview Info	EMU Notes (pdf)
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	n/a
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics
Fan Information	Purchase Tickets for future home games

ATHENS, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team is back on the road this weekend as the Eagles will travel to Athens, Ohio, to take on the Bobcats of Ohio University inside the Convocation Center, Saturday, Jan. 25. The game, which will tip off at 1 p.m., will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Sam Hyman (play-by-play), Dave Cecutti (analyst) and Taniah Stephens (sideline) 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
» Alumni Weekend will take place Jan. 31-Feb. 1 with events planned around EMU's game with Toledo. The Alumni Game (Jan. 31) and the Alumni Mixer (Feb. 1 at Aubree's) will bookend the game with the Rockets (2 p.m., Feb. 1).
» The pairings for the second half of the 2024-25 MAC/SBC Challenge were announced, Jan. 13, with the Eagles set to face Georgia State, Feb. 8, in Atlanta. The game will tip-off at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
» Olivia Westphal has found her outside shot as the junior is leading the MAC with 2.6 three-pointers per game this year after draining a career-high-tying five against Northern Illinois (Jan. 22). Westphal has now made nine triples in the past two games and made at least four in back-to-back games for the first time in her career.
» Sisi Eleko got back into double digits with 17 points against NIU, marking the 16th time this year she has scored 10+ points in a game. She continues to rank second in the MAC in points (18.6) and rebounds (10.1) and is the lone MAC player averaging a double-double.
» Mackenzie Amalia has stepped up her game in league play as her 11 points against NIU has brought her to 91 points in MAC play, the 13th-most in the league. She is averaging 10.3 points on the year and 13.0 when playing a league contest while ranking second with 5.2 assists per game.
» Ahead of the game with NIU, the Eagles were averaging 18.1 turnovers per game. Against the Huskies, EMU turned the ball over a season-best nine times, surpassing the 10 turnovers committed against Xavier, Dec. 1, and the 11 posted at Central Michigan, Jan. 18.
» The Eagles connected on seven three-pointers against Northern Illinois (Jan. 22) to extend their current streak to 120 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).

ALUMNI WEEKEND IS COMING
The program will play host to Alumni Weekend Jan. 31-Feb. 1 with events planned before and after the Eagles' game with visiting Toledo. All alumni are welcome back and can sign up to play in the Alumni Game, Friday, Jan. 31, at 6 p.m. to open the weekend. On Saturday, Feb. 1, alumni are welcomed to watch the team's shoot around at 9 a.m. before cheering on the Eagles against the Rockets at 2 p.m. Following the game, all alumni are invited to Aubree's in Depot Town for the Alumni Mixer. To reserve your spot, e-mail Assistant Coach Kayla Jackson (kjack143@emich.edu) with your updated contact info along with if you plan to play in the Alumni Game and if you plan to attend the Alumni Mixer.

KNOW THE FOE: OHIO
The Bobcats enter the weekend with a 3-14 record and stand 1-6 in MAC play after dropping their fifth consecutive game in a 72-55 loss at Buffalo (Jan. 22). Ohio, whose only MAC win came in a 71-55 decision at Northern Illinois (Jan. 4), is 2-7 at home with its last win coming Dec. 3 against Ohio Christian, 97-37. Individually, Kennedi Watkins leads the way for OU with 16.0 points per game while Bailey Tabeling is averaging 11.8.

ALL-TIME VS. OHIO
The Eagles trail, 28-40, in their all-time series with the Bobcats with the two sides trading wins in the past three games, including OU's 72-62 win in Athens, Jan. 20, 2024. The series sees the Bobcats leading, 21-11, when the game is played in Athens following last year's game. Prior to that, the last time the Eagles won was a 74-64 decision in Athens, March 4, 2023.

SHOOTING STREAK
The Eagles have recorded at least one three-pointer in 120 consecutive games, the third-longest stretch since the start of the 1999-00 season, after scoring seven against Akron, Jan. 11. 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.

FROM DOWNTOWN
Eastern is averaging 7.5 made three-pointers per game, which ranks third in the MAC. With its seven made triples against Northern Illinois (Jan. 22), Eastern has connected on 7+ triples in six consecutive games and 11-of-17 games this season.

SHE'S HEATING UP...
After opening the season with 26 three-pointers in the first nine games of the year, Olivia Westphal was limited in her deep shots to open MAC play as she scored seven in the first five league games. She has since returned to her early season form as she had nailed nine in the past two games, including four at Central Michigan (Jan. 18) and a career-high-tying five at home against Northern Illinois (Jan. 22). Additionally, she has now made four or more triples in back-to-back games for the first time in her career and hit at least four three-pointers in the same game five times this year after having not done so in her previous two collegiate seasons.

WESTY HEADING NORTH
Olivia Westphal has tallied a career-high 31 points over the past two games (14 at CMU and 17 vs. NIU), surpassing the 29 she scored in the opening two games of the season. Through the NIU contest, Westphal has scored 156 points this year, which is 34 more than she tallied in her first two collegiate seasons (22 with Duquesne in 2022-23 and 107 last year with EMU).

AHEAD OF THE CURVE BEHIND THE ARC
Olivia Westphal has made 42 three pointers in 16 games this year (2.6 per game), which is 19 more than her total from the 2023-24 season when she scored 23 three-pointers in 28 games (0.8). Additionally, Westphal has scored 2+ triples in 14-of-16 games played this year after she made 1+ three-point shots in 12-of-28 games last year. If she can maintain her current pace, Westphal could make at least 70 three-pointers this season, something that hasn't happened since the 2015-16 season when both Janay Morton (76) and Cha Sweeney (70) accomplished the feat.

PILING UP POINTS
Mackenzie Amalia has quietly put together a strong showing in her last six games as she is averaging 14.5. Amalia has tallied 87 points in the past six outings, including a season-high 19 at Central Michigan (Jan. 18), which trails only Sisi Eleko's 96 points for the most scored over that stretch. Amalia is currently averaging 10.3 points per game, the highest of her career, surpassing the 8.4 average she posted with Canisius last season.

SISI WITH DUB-DUBS
Sisi Eleko tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds against Buffalo (Jan. 15) to record her league-leading ninth double-double, which also ranks her 18th nationally. Eleko has 29 career double-doubles, which ranks tied for 31st among all active NCAA Division I players (through Jan. 15 games) and is currently ninth on the EMU double-double list (since 1999-00), needing one more to tie with Tayra Eke (2022-24) and Areanna Combs (2019-22), who are 10th with 13.

ELITE COMPANY
Sisi Eleko also is on pace to do something done just two other EMU players 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.

NATIONALLY KNOWN
Three Eagles remain among the top 50 nationally in several statistical categories, led by Sisi Eleko, who holds rankings in four categories. Eleko is averaging 18.6 points (39th) and 10.1 rebounds (24th) while recording 172 total rebounds (38th) and nine double-doubles (18th).

Mackenzie Amalia is also among the national top 50 in a pair of categories. She is currently the NCAA and MAC leader with 38.3 minutes played per game while her 5.2 assists per contest rank second in the MAC and 36th nationally. Additionally, Olivia Westphal is averaging 2.6 three-pointers per game to rank 32nd nationally.

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.

Additionally, Eleko's 10.1 rebounds are among the best in EMU 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.

MAJOR MINUTES
Mackenzie Amalia averages 38.4 minutes per game after playing the full 40 minutes in every MAC game this year, which leads the NCAA. Amalia is one of five Eagles that rank in the top 25 of minutes played in the MAC, including Sisi Eleko in fourth (33.4), Olivia Westphal is 17th (30.3), Brooklyn Thrash is 18th (30.3), and Olivia Smith ranks 24th (28.7).

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
Entering the game with Northern Illinois (Jan. 22), the Eagles were averaging 18.1 turnovers per game. Against the Huskies, EMU turned the ball over just nine times, their lowest total of the season and their lowest since committing just nine against the Huskies, Feb. 17, 2024. The previous low this season was 10 against Xavier, Dec. 1, while the previous low against a MAC foe was 11 at Central Michigan one game prior.

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.

ON THE HORIZON
Eastern remains on the road for its next game as the Eagles will venture to Kent, Ohio, to take on the Kent State University Golden Flashes Wednesday, Jan. 29, in a 7 p.m. game inside the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center. The game 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