Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
2-24,1-14MAC
Miami
17-9,9-6MAC
WBB Falls in Overtime to Miami, 82-72
2/26/2025 9:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Thrash scored a career-high 16 points as EMU made a season-high 14 triples
Postgame Presser
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Despite trailing by 23 at halftime, the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team mounted a ferocious comeback thanks to 8-of-11 three-point shooting in the third quarter, but it was not enough as the Eagles dropped an 82-72 overtime decision to visiting Miami University, Feb. 26, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti. The Eagles (2-24, 1-14 Mid-American Conference) saw four players score in double figures, including Brooklyn Thrash, who tallied a career-high 16 points, and Sisi Eleko, who tallied her 13th double-double of the year (14 and 16), as the RedHawks (17-9, 9-6 MAC) escaped with the win.
How It Happened
Miami jumped out to an early 11-5 lead at the first break in action as it used an 8-0 run to build its lead. Eleko (Montreal, Quebec/New Hope Academy/Canisius) scored the first points of the game for the Eagles by hitting a step-back three-pointer before Olivia Smith (Fort Wayne, Ind./South Side) drove to the lane for her first bucket of the game. Following the break, Mackenzie Amalia (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk/Canisius) made her return to action for the first time since Jan. 22 and scored three points while adding two rebounds, one block, and one steal as the Eagles trailed, 16-13, at the end of one.
The RedHawks extended their lead with a 6-0 run to open the second quarter before Kyndal Lewis (Belton, Mo./Belton) scored on a post move and Dara Capaldi (East Detroit, Mich./La Lumiere (Ind.)) hit one free throw. MU then went on a 12-0 run to build a 33-16 advantage at the media timeout. Neither team was able to find much offense after the break as the RedHawks out-scored the Eagles, 5-0, over the final four minutes in the half to send the visitors to the locker room leading, 39-16.
The third quarter opened with Eleko collecting an offensive rebound and laying it in for the team's first points in over eight minutes of game time. From there, it was a three-for-all as the Eagles shot 8-of-11 from distance in the frame, including six consecutive made triples, to cut a 23-point halftime deficit into four as the Eagles trailed, 54-50, at the end of three. In the quarter, Thrash drained three triples while Olivia Westphal (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park/Duquesne) was good for two and one each was scored by Elena Cabello (Malaga, Spain/IES Mediterraneo), Amalia, and Smith.
In the fourth, Smith scored the first five points to bring EMU to within one before Eleko's driving layup with 6:32 remaining tied the game, 57-57. Amalia then drained a deep three to give EMU its first lead since the first quarter, 60-57, with just over five minutes to play. The teams continued to battle back and forth with each team having a chance to win the game in regulation as neither could score in the final minute of play to send the game to overtime tied at 65.
In the extra session, the Eagles continued to push to complete the comeback, but fell short as the RedHawks won the stanza, 17-7, to claim the win. Lewis hit a three-pointer while Smith and Thrash were good for a pair of free throws from the line, but it was not enough as EMU fell to 0-2 in overtime this season.
Game Notes
» Brooklyn Thrash had the hot hand as she finished with a career-high-tying 16 points that included 4-of-8 shooting from three-point range and 2-of-3 from the line. The four triples tied her career-high for a single game as well with both her triples and career-high points being previously recorded against Xavier, Dec. 1. Thrash added three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
» Sisi Eleko finished the game with 14 points and 16 rebounds to post her 13th double-double of the season and 33rd of her career. She is now tied for 10th on the EMU career double-double list (since 1999) with Paige Redditt (2008-12) and Shani Charles (1997-01).
» Sisi Eleko has 452 points this season, which moved her up to 22nd on the EMU single-season scoring list while her 257 total rebounds now rank her ninth in a single-season after she passed seven players in one game.
» Olivia Smith finished with 13 points, three away from her season best. She moved up to 47th on the program's all-time scoring list with 686 points, moving her past Kerry Porter (1988-92), who finished her career with 681.
» Olivia Westphal hit a trio of three-pointers to finish with 11 points. The three triples marked the ninth time this season she has connected on at least three and the 18th time in 25 games she made at least two.
» Mackenzie Amalia stepped onto the court with 7:04 remaining in the first quarter to log her first action since Jan. 22 against Northern Illinois after an injury sidelined her. She finished with nine points, two rebounds, one block, and one steal in 27 minutes of action.
» Eastern connected on a season-high 14 three-pointers, surpassing the 13 made against Xavier, Dec. 1, at home and the most by the Eagles since Nov. 19, 2021, when they drained 15 at home against Grace Christian. The 14 triples rank as the sixth-most in a single game in program history while also ranking fourth in a single game played inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
» The Eagles made eight of their three-pointers in the third quarter, including seven in a row. The eight makes were equal to or more than the full game total for 19 games played this season.
» Following the game, the Eagles are 191-of-633 from three-point range on the year. The 191 makes rank 11th in single-season history with the 197 made in 2009-10 sitting 10th. The 632 attempts rank fifth.
» The Eagles finished 14-of-32 from behind the arc to extend their current streak to 129 consecutive games with at least one made three-pointer. Sisi Eleko extended the streak as she drained the first shot an Eagle took in the game. The last EMU failed to drain a long-distance shot came Nov. 29, 2020, when Eastern finished 0-of-15 from three-point range at home against UIC.
Historical Notes
» With the loss, the Eagles fell to 2-24 overall and 1-14 in the MAC while the RedHawks improved to 17-9 overall and 9-6 in league play.
» Eastern is 25-45 all-time against Miami and has dropped three consecutive games. Additionally, the Eagles are now 12-22 when hosting the RedHawks and saw their four-game home winning streak in the series snapped.
» The Eagles fell to 0-2 in overtime games this season and 23-29 all-time in extra-session contests all-time. The last time EMU played in overtime was a 73-66 loss at UT Rio Grande Valley, Dec. 19.
» The last time the Eagles and RedHawks played an overtime game was Jan. 28, 2003, an 83-79 win for Miami in Oxford.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan will play the first of its final two road games of the season Saturday, March 1, when the Eagles travel to Alumni Arena in Buffalo, N.Y., to take on the University at Buffalo. The Eagles and Bulls are slated to tip off at 2 p.m. with the game being streamed live on ESPN+.
