Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
1-1,0-0MAC
Canisius
0-2,0-0MAAC
Women's Basketball Earns First Win of 2025-26 Campaign, Tops Canisius, 70-39
11/7/2025 9:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EMU led the entire game, Believe Tshibangu led the way with 14 points and nine rebounds
Photo Gallery
BUFFALO, N.Y. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team earned its first victory of the 2025-26 campaign, defeating Canisius University, 70-39, on the road inside the Koessler Athletic Center Friday evening, Nov. 7.
Eastern never trailed in the game after starting with a 14-0 run. Freshman Believe Tshibangu (Courtice, Ontario/Royal Crown Secondary) put on a show in a short time, collecting 14 points and nine rebounds off a perfect 100% (7-for-7) field-goal percentage in just 14 minutes.
Senior Sisi Eleko (Montreal, Quebec/New Hope Academy/Canisius) notched her first double-double of the young campaign with 10 points and 11 rebounds, as Brooklyn Thrash (Wayne, Ohio/Elmwood/Canisius) (10) and Peyton Hill (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy) (12) also reached double-digits in points.
Thrash added four rebounds and two steals while shooting 50% from the floor, and Hill denied two shots with two steals, and four rebounds.
How it Happened
Eastern Michigan started out the scoring by going on a 14-0 run, culminating in a bucket from Sarah Rekowski (Hartland, Mich./Hartland/Western Michigan) to take an early lead with 3:38 left in the first quarter. The Eagles then added six points to their lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter break with a 22-2 advantage. EMU did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 12 of its 22 points there.
Eastern kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 5-0 run starting at the 8:53 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Thrash, to increase its lead to 25 at 27-2. The Golden Griffins would minorly cut into the lead as the Eagles headed to the half with a 31-12 advantage.
Eastern Michigan continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Tshibangu, to expand its lead further to 45-20 with 2:11 to go in the third. Before the third period was over, the Eagles added two points to that lead and entered the fourth quarter with a 49-22 edge.
Eastern widened its lead, expanding it to 56-25 before going on a 6-0 run, finished off by Tshibangu's jumper, to grow the lead to 62-25 with 4:58 to go in the contest. The Golden Griffins narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Eagles held firm for a 70-39 win. Eastern Michigan fired away from deep in the quarter, knocking down three shots to account for nine of its 21 points.
Game Notes
» Eastern's record improved to 1-1 (0-0 MAC) and Canisius' went to 0-2 (0-0 MAAC).
» Eastern dominated the stats battle, out-shooting the Golden Griffins, 43.1%-16.7%, while securing 45 rebounds to their 28, 42 paint points to CU's six, and 11 steals to the Golden Griffins' one while succeeding in a multitude of other categories.
» Eastern's best offensive quarter was the first as it opened the game on a 14-0 run and ended the quarter with 22 points off 50% shooting, and went a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.
» EMU led the entire game as its largest lead came with 3:55 to go in the game, a 37-point advantage (62-25). EMU's 37-point margin of victory is the second-largest in the MAC.
» Eastern held Canisius without a field goal for the first 15:30 of game time as the Golden Griffins cashed in from the field for the first time with 4:30 to go in the first half.
» Eastern's 16.7% opponent shooting percentage is the lowest opponent shooting percentage in the MAC in the season's early going.
» Eastern's 91% clip from the free throw line is the best in the MAC this season, along with its five blocked shots.
» Believe Tshibangu poured in 14 points with nine rebounds and one assist in her NCAA debut. She is the second Eagle freshman to eclipse the double-digit mark in their NCAA debut as Peyton Hill scored 15 in her first collegiate game at Louisiana Monroe, Nov. 3.
» Sisi Eleko notched her first double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. She now has 15 double-doubles as an Eagle and 35 in her career. Eleko's 15 double-doubles tie for sixth in program history with Natachia Watkins (2010-14), Patrice McKinney (2004-06), and Cassie Schrock (2007-11).
» Peyton Hill scored 12 points for her second consecutive game with double-digit points. She was also perfect from the free-throw line (4-for-4) for the second straight game after shooting 8-for-8 against Louisiana Monroe, Nov. 3.
» Brooklyn Thrash notched her second-consecutive double-dgiit scoring output with 12 points off 50% shooting (4-for-8). She aided defensively with two steals while securing four rebounds. Thrash is up to 22 games with 10+ in her career.
» Peyton Hill's two blocks tie for the most in the MAC this season. She also shot 100% from the free throw line for the second consecutive game. She is the only MAC player to post two games with a perfect free-throw percentage this season.
» Believe Tshibangu became the third MAC player to shoot 100% from the floor this season. Her seven field goals made are the most while shooting 100% and three more than the second-most (four).
» Believe Tshibangu's nine rebounds tie for the most by a MAC freshman this season. Her nine boards are the most from an EMU freshman since Lachelle Austin grabbed 13 at Western Michigan, March 2, 2021.
Historical Notes
» The meeting marked the ninth between Eastern and Canisius. EMU holds a 7-2 record against the Golden Griffins and a 3-1 mark when facing them in Buffalo. EMU has now won six consecutive games against Canisius.
» Brooklyn Thrash's 12 points vaulted her over the 500 mark for her career as she now totals 510 in her four-year NCAA tenure.
» Eastern won its first game of the 2025-26 season and its first non-conference road game in the Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh era.
» Eastern held Canisius to 16.7% shooting, its lowest opponent field goal percentage since at least the 2010-11 season.
» Eastern's 37-point margin of victory is its largest in the Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh era and biggest since it set the program record with 133 points against Grace Christian, winning by a robust 88 points, Nov. 18, 2021.
» Eastern held a team without a field goal in a quarter for the first time since Nov. 21, 2015, holding UTRGV to 0-for-14 shooting in the third quarter in a 78-56 win. The game also marked the first time EMU held its foe without a field goal for 10+ minutes since Dec. 30, 2018, in a 53-39 victory over Northwood.
» Believe Tshibangu's nine rebounds in her NCAA debut are the most from an Eagle in their first NCAA game since Tori Easley grabbed 10 in her collegiate debut against Kent State – Tuscarawas, Nov. 14, 2014.
» Believe Tshibangu is the first Eagle to post a 14-point/nine-rebound stat line in an NCAA debut since at least the 2011-12 season.
Up Next
Eastern continues its early-season road trip as it travels to Michigan State University for a battle with the Spartans Sunday, Nov. 9, 2 p.m. The game can be streamed live on B1G+.
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 Eagles on Instagram @emuwbb and @emuathletics
