WBB Faces Ball State on the Road Wednesday Night

GAME #13: Women's Basketball at Ball State
Date	Wednesday, Jan. 8 \| 6:30 p.m.
Venue	Worthen Arena (11,500)
Preview Info	EMU Notes (pdf)
Live Stats	Fan Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	WEMU (89.1 FM)
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics
Fan Information	Purchase Tickets For Future Home Games

MUNCIE, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team returns to the road for Mid-American Conference play Wednesday, Jan. 8, as the Eagles are set to face the Cardinals of Ball State University inside Worthen Arena in Muncie, Ind. The game between Eagles (1-11, 0-2 MAC) and Cardinals (10-4, 2-0 MAC) will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+. Fans can listen to the game live on WEMU (89.1 FM) and The Varsity Network app with Tom Helmer and Greg Steiner calling the action. Live stats will be available at EMUEagles.com/livestats while periodic updates will be posted on the team's official X account (@EMUWBB).

The Eagles dropped their most recent contest, a 90-76 decision at Bowling Green (Jan. 4) while the Cardinals moved to 2-0 in MAC play with their 72-61 win over visiting Central Michigan. BSU, who enters the game ranked No. 10 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Top 25, is tied with Kent State for the top spot in the MAC standings at the only undefeated teams in league play

FREE THROWS
» Eastern scored 76 points in its loss at Bowling Green (Jan. 4), marking the most points it has scored this season. The point total is the highest for EMU since its 81-69 home win over South Alabama (Feb. 10, 2024) and the most scored in a road game since its 84-74 win at IU Indy (Dec. 15, 2023).
» EMU saw four players scored 10+ points at Bowling Green (Jan. 4), the most in a single game since EMU had five players reach double digits against South Alabama (Feb. 10, 2024) last year. The four players included Sisi Eleko (26), Mackenzie Amalia (14), Olivia Westphal (14), and Olivia Smith (13).
» Sisi Eleko is averaging 20.6 points and 11.4 rebounds, which ranks her 14th and seventh, respectively, on the NCAA Division I statistical list. She also is one of only two players nationally averaging 20.0+ points and 11.0+ rebounds (Khamil Pierre, Vanderbilt).
» Sisi Eleko has tallied 990 career points and needs 10 to reach the 1,000-point marker. Eleko scored 743 points over the last two seasons with Canisius before scoring 247 points this year for EMU.
» Mackenzie Amalia handed out six assists at BGSU (Jan. 4) to extend her streak to a career-high four consecutive games with at least six assists. Her streak includes six against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Dec. 20), seven against St. Thomas (Dec. 28), and eight against Western Michigan (Jan. 1).
» The Eagles connected on eight three-pointers at Bowling Green (Jan. 4) to extend their current streak to 115 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).

KNOW THE FOE: BALL STATE
The Cardinals are tied for the top spot in the MAC standings at 2-0 and sport a 10-4 overall record on the strength of wins in four consecutive games while two of their losses have come to nationally-ranked foes, including a 63-52 loss to No. 16 North Carolina and an 80-48 setback to No. 11 Ohio State.
Ally Becki is one of four Cardinals averaging double-digit points with a team-high 14.4 per game while also leading the team in both rebounds and assists at 5.9 in both categories. Alex Richard (12.0), former EMU player Lachelle Austin (10.8), and Madelyn Bischoff (10.4) are the other three players averaging 10.0+ points per game this year.

ALL-TIME VS. BALL STATE
The winner of Wednesday's game will take the overall lead in a series that is tied at 45-45. Ball State has won six consecutive meetings, including a 75-47 decision, March 2, 2024, in Muncie. Eastern trails, 19-22, when playing at Worthen Arena with the hosts having won the past two meetings. The last time EMU won in Muncie was Dec. 2, 2020, in a 77-58 decision.

IN THE 90's
Eastern and Ball State are set for the 91st meeting in the history of the series, which ranks as the fourth-most-played series in program history. EMU and Western Michigan recently played for the 97th time, Jan. 1, while the Eagles have faced Central Michigan (94) and Toledo (93) more times than the Cardinals.

FAMILIAR FACE
Eastern will be facing one of its former players this week as Lachelle Austin currently plays for Ball State.
Austin, who is averaging 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.24 steals, played the previous three seasons for the Eagles before transferring to Muncie. During her time with Eastern, she scored 800 points in 83 games (9.6 average), the 32nd highest total in program history, while recording 188 assists (2.3) and 115 steals (1.4) to go with 293 boards (3.5).

STRONG SCORING • PART I
In their game at Bowling Green (Jan. 4), the Eagles shot 50 percent from the floor to tally 76 points, its highest offensive output of the season, surpassing the 72 scored in their 72-60 win over Xavier (Dec. 1). Additionally, the 76 points are the most scored by EMU since its 81-69 home win last year over South Alabama (Feb. 10, 2024) and the most scored in a road game since Dec.. 15, 2023, an 84-74 win at IU Indy (formerly IUPUI).

STRONG SCORING • PART II
For the first time all season, four Eagles reached double-digit point totals in the same game as Sisi Eleko scored 26, both Mackenzie Amalia and Olivia Westphal tallied 14 each, and Olivia Smith posted 13 in the game at Bowling Green (Jan. 4). The last time the Eagles saw four or more players score at least 10 points in the same game came last season at home against South Alabama (Feb. 10, 2024). In that contest, Tayra Eke scored 13 points, Smith scored 12, Westphal and Kennedi Myles each scored 11, and Dara Capaldi added 10.

NATIONALLY KNOWN
Through games played Jan. 5, two Eagles remain among the top 50 nationally in several statistical categories, led by Sisi Eleko, who holds rankings in four categories. Eleko leads the league in points per game (20.6), rebounds per game (11.4), and double-doubles (eight), which rank her 14th, seventh, and 11th, respectively, on the national lists. Additionally, her 137 total rebounds are second in the MAC and 41st nationally.
Mackenzie Amalia is also among the national top 50 in a pair of categories. She is currently third in the NCAA and leads the MAC with 37.72 minutes played per game while her 5.8 assists per contest rank second in the MAC and 17th nationally.

NEARING 1,000 POINTS
Sisi Eleko enters the game at Ball State needing just 10 points to reach 1,000 scored in her career. The junior, who is averaging 20.7 points and has scored at least 10 points in all 12 games played this year, has tallied 247 points with the Eagles after scoring 743 points at Canisius during the previous two seasons. The last EMU player to score 1,000 points was Ce'Nara Skanes, who posted 1,031 points for Eastern from 2020-23.

CLEANING GLASS
In the game with WMU (Jan. 1), Sisi Eleko posted 15 rebounds to mark the third time this year and the seventh time in her career she finished with 15+ caroms in a single game. Eleko grabbed three offensive boards to go with 12 defensive grabs, a total that ties for the eighth-most defensive rebounds in a single game in the history of the George Gervin GameAbove Center, which opened during the 1998-99 season. The last time a player recorded 15+ defensive rebounds in a game on the EMU campus was March 8, 2014, when Central Michigan's Crystal Bradford pulled down 14, which ties for the fourth-highest total.

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 11.4 rebounds have her 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.

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.

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

SHOOTING STREAK
The Eagles have recorded at least one three-pointer in 115 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.

DROPPING DIMES
Mackenzie Amalia finished the game at Bowling Green (Jan. 4) with six assists to bring her current streak to four consecutive games with 6+ helpers, the longest of her career. Her current run started Dec. 20 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with six assists before she posted seven at home against St. Thomas, Dec. 28. She dealt eight helpers in the MAC opener with Western Michigan before adding six against the Falcons. Prior to the current streak, her longest streak stood at three games, which came last year with Canisius when she posted six against Marist (Feb. 15), eight against Siena (Feb. 17), and six at Manhattan (Feb. 22).

MAJOR MINUTES
Mackenzie Amalia is averaging 37.72 minutes per game, which ranks third in the NCAA behind the 38.17 averaged by DeeDee Hageman (Memphis) and the 37.76 averaged by Amaris Baker (Drexel). Those players are three of six nationally that are averaging 37.0 minutes or more this season.

LET IT FLY
Olivia Westphal was held without a three-point bucket against Western Michigan (Jan. 1) to see her streak of 10 consecutive games with 2+ makes come to an end but got back to her scoring ways to two triples at Bowling Green (Jan. 4). For the season, Westphal is averaging 2.6 three-pointers per game, which ranks her third in the MAC and 52nd nationally.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE BEHIND THE ARC
Olivia Westphal has made 28 three pointers in 11 games this year, which is five 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 can 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.

ON THE HORIZON
Eastern returns to home action Saturday, Jan. 11, as the women and men play host to the University of Akron in a doubleheader inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center. The women will play first starting at 1 p.m. with the men to follow at approximately 3:30 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+ with the games also available on WEMU (89.1 FM) and The Varsity Network app with Tom Helmer calling the action in both games.

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).

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Amalia

Lachelle Austin

Chelsea Bishop

Elena Cabello

Dara Capaldi

Olivia DiFranco

Tayra Eke

Sisi Eleko

Kennedi Myles

Olivia Smith

Brooklyn Thrash

Olivia Westphal

Jada Williams

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