WBB Hosts Ball State in Doubleheader Day Saturday

GAME #23: Women's Basketball vs. Ball State
Date	Saturday, Feb. 15 \| 1 p.m. \| DOUBLEHEADER
Venue	George Gervin GameAbove Center (8,754)
Preview Info	EMU Notes (pdf)
Live Stats	Fan Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	WEMU 89.1 FM
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics
Fan Information	Purchase Tickets

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- For the first time in two weeks, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team will play on its home court as the Eagles will play host to Ball State University Saturday, Feb. 15, at 1 p.m. inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center. The Eagles (1-21, 0-11 Mid-American Conference) and Cardinals (19-5, 11-0 MAC) will meet in the first of two games played on campus with the EMU men taking on the University of Toledo at approximately 3:30 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Ryan Wooley (play-by-play) and Claire Dau (analyst) on the call for the women's game while Tom Helmer and John Motherwell will bring fans the call live on WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network. Live stats will be available at EMUEagles.com/livestats while periodic updates will be posted on the team's official X account (@EMUWBB).

BEER FEST
Beer Fest WBB Feb. 15 vs. Ball State promo with Sahar Nusseibeh

Beer Fest WBB Feb. 15 vs. Ball State promo with Sahar Nusseibeh

FREE THROWS
» Eastern has seven more games on the regular season schedule with four coming at home, including the next two games, including Ball State (Feb. 15) and Central Michigan (Feb. 19).
» The game with Ball State will mark the third time this season the Eagles have played against a team ranked in the College Inside Mid-Major Top 25 as the Cardinals are No. 7 this week. The previous two games came against BSU (Jan. 8) and Buffalo (Jan. 15) with both ranked No. 10 at the time.
» Eastern is coming off a pair of games that resulted in the lowest combined scores of the season, including 113 at Miami (68-45) and 98 at Georgia State (55-43).
» With her 14 points at Georgia State (Feb. 8), Sisi Eleko brought her season total to 403 points. She is the first EMU player to record 400+ points and 200+ rebounds in the same season since Natachia Watkins tallied 405 points and 2018 rebounds in the 2011-12 season.
» Sisi Eleko has 11 doubles-doubles this season (18th in the NCAA) and 31 for her career, which ranks 31st among all NCAA Division I players. She also ranks 20th in rebounds per game this season (10.0) while her 8.70 career average is 17th among active NCAA Division I players.
» Kyndal Lewis made her first start of the season and her first since Dec. 9, 2023 (428 days) and finished the game at Georgia State (Feb. 8) with a career-high 10 rebounds.
» Through 22 games, the Eagles have scored 159 three-pointers for an of 7.2 per game. If the team continues that pace, it would wind up in the program's all-time top 10 as 208 would rank seventh.
» The Eagles connected on eight three-pointers at Georgia State (Feb. 8) to extend their current streak to 125 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 19-5 overall and 11-0 in MAC play and saw their 13-game winning streak end at James Madison, Feb. 8, in a 78-74 loss in the MAC/SBC Challenge. Defeating its league opponents by 17.7 points per game, Ball State has five players averaging 10+ points per game with Ally Becki leading the way at 15.1 and Alex Richard just behind at 14.4. Richard leads the team in rebounds with 7.0 per contest while Becki's 6.2 assists lead the team and the MAC.

IN THE RANKINGS
When Eastern takes on Ball State, it will mark the third time this year the Eagles have faced a team ranked in the top 10 of the College Insider Top 25. The first instance came at Ball State, Jan. 8, when the Cardinals were ranked No. 10 with the second following one week later (Jan. 15) in a home game with then-No. 10 Buffalo. This week, the Cardinals are ranked No. 7, the highest of any team EMU has faced this season, including current No. 15 Purdue Fort Wayne (Buffalo is No. 19 this week).

ALL-TIME VS. BALL STATE
With their 101-69 win, Jan. 8, in Muncie, the Cardinals took the lead in the all-time series, 46-45, and have won seven consecutive meetings. When playing in Ypsilanti, Ball State holds a slim 22-21 lead after winning five in a row. The last time the Eagles won was March 11, 2020, a 64-63 decision in the MAC Tournament Quarterfinals in Cleveland. Eastern last defeated Ball State at home, 61-58, Feb. 22, 2020.

IN THE 90's
Eastern and Ball State are set for the 92nd 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 (95) and Toledo (94) more times than the Cardinals.

IN THE LAST MEETING
The Eagles and Cardinals met, Jan. 8, inside Worthen Arena with Ball State winning, 101-69. Sisi Eleko scored 14 points to reach 1,000 for her career while Elena Cabello tallied 12 points, including the first nine of the game, for Eastern. Additionally, Mackenzie Amalia scored a season-high 18 points while Olivia Westphal (two) and Olivia Smith (three) combined for five three-pointers.

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 10.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.0 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).

SHOOTING STREAK
The Eagles have recorded at least one three-pointer in 125 consecutive games, the third-longest stretch since the start of the 1999-00 season, after scoring six at Kent State, Jan. 29. 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 7.2 made three-pointers per game, which ranks fourth in the MAC. Eastern had connected on 7+ triples in seven consecutive games before finishing with six at Kent State, Jan. 29, and three against Toledo, Feb. 1, but got back on track with eight at Miami, Feb. 5, and eight more at Georgia State, Feb. 8. Overall, the Eagles have scored at least seven three-pointers in 14-of-22 games played this season (63.6 percent).

FOR THREE
The Eagles are on pace to drain 208 three-pointers this season, which would mark the 10th time the team would make 200+ in a single season and the first since the 2018-19 squad made 201. Additionally, the 159 made this year are the most in since the 2019-20 squad made 173. All told, since the 1999-00 season, the 159 triples this year ranks 17th.

SISI WITH DUB-DUBS
Sisi Eleko picked up her MAC-leading 11th double-double of the season at home against Toledo (Feb. 1) as she scored 16 points and added 12 rebounds. Ranked 18th nationally in the category, Eleko moved into 13th on the program's all-time list (since 1999) after she broke her tie with Tayra Eke (2022-24) and Areanna Combs (2019-22) and is now one shy of tying Phillis Webb (2013-16) for 12th with 12. Additionally, her 31 career double-doubles rank 31st among all active NCAA Division I players.

NEARING 400
Through 22 games, Sisi Eleko has scored 403 points to mark the second consecutive year she has scored 400 points (493 last year with Canisius). She is the first Eagle to score over 400 points in a season since Areanna Combs scored 437 points in 2021-22. Additionally, Eleko is 30 points from tying Nikki Knapp (2004-05) for ninth on the junior season scoring ledger after Knapp scored 433 points that year.

DOUBLED UP
Sisi Eleko scored 14 points at Georgia State, Feb. 8, to bring her season total to 403 points. Along with her 220 rebounds, Eleko became the first EMU player since Natachia Watkins (2011-12) to score at least 400 points and record at least 200 rebounds in the same season. That year, Watkins finished with 405 points and 218 rebounds in 32 games played.

CHASING RARE AIR
Sisi Eleko is nearing adding her name to a pair of rankings in EMU single-season history as she needs 25 points and 10 rebounds to join the program's top 25 scoring and top 20 rebounding lists, respectively. Should she reach those totals, she would become just the fourth player in EMU program history to record 425+ points and 230+ rebounds in the same season, joining Sarah VanMetre (461-242) in 2006-07, Cassie Schrock (529-258) in 2010-11, and Phillis Webb (454-261) in 2016-17.

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. Through the Georgia State game, Eleko is averaging 18.3 points and 10.0 rebounds.

TRENDING UPWARD
Sisi Eleko, who is averaging 18.3 points per game, is looking 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 10.0 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.

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 18.3 points (49th) and 10.0 rebounds (20th) while recording 220 total rebounds (35th) and 11 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 38.4 minutes played per game while her 5.2 assists per contest rank third in the MAC and 30th nationally. Additionally, Olivia Westphal is averaging 2.4 three-pointers per game to rank 49th nationally.

LEWIS LETS LOOSE
Kyndal Lewis made her first start of the season and her first since Dec. 9, 2023 (428 days) and finished the game at Georgia State (Feb. 8) with a career-high 10 rebounds. Entering the game, her previous best was six boards against Buffalo (Jan. 8) earlier this year. Lewis finished with five points against the Panthers while shooting 2-of-4 from the field.

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 17 in the past six MAC games, including four at Central Michigan (Jan. 18), a career-high-tying five at home against Northern Illinois (Jan. 22), three each at Ohio (Jan. 25) and at Kent State (Jan. 29), and one against both Toledo (Feb. 1) and Miami (Feb. 5). In the games with CMU and NIU, she 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 previously.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE BEHIND THE ARC
Olivia Westphal has made 51 three pointers in 21 games this year (2.4 per game), which is 28 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 16-of-21 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.

MAJOR MINUTES
Mackenzie Amalia averages 38.4 minutes per game after playing the full 40 minutes in every MAC game this year she has been available for, 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 sixth (33.7), Olivia Westphal is 15th (31.5), Olivia Smith is 18th (31.0), and Brooklyn Thrash is 22nd (30.2).

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
The Eagle will play host to the Chippewas of Central Michigan University, Feb. 19, at 6:30 p.m. inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center. The game will air live on ESPN+ with Ryan Wooley (play-by-play) and Claire Dau (analyst) on the call. Additionally, Tom Helmer and John Motherwell will call the game live on WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network.

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

Lachelle Austin

Chelsea Bishop

Elena Cabello

Olivia DiFranco

Tayra Eke

Sisi Eleko

Kyndal Lewis

Olivia Smith

Brooklyn Thrash

Olivia Westphal

Jada Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics