Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, January 20
Ypsilanti, Mich.
6:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
8-9,2-5MAC
76
vs
71
Toledo
8-8,3-3MAC
1
2
3
4
F
Toledo
15
19
22
15
71
Eastern Mich.
13
17
20
26
76
Photo by: Joey Wolter
Hill's Career High Powers Women's Basketball To Fourth-Quarter Comeback Win Over Toledo
1/20/2026 9:47:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The freshman scored 25 points as EMU outscored Toledo 26-15 in the fourth quarter
Head Coach Sahar_Nusseibeh Post-Game Interview | Celebration Highlight Video | Photo Gallery | Box Score
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University women's basketball freshman Peyton Hill scored a career-high 25 points, lifting the Eagles to a 76-71 thrilling win over the University of Toledo Tuesday night inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center, Jan. 20, in Mid-American Conference action.
Hill's 25 points are the most from a MAC freshman this season. The Eagles earned their first win over Toledo since 2021, led by a high-scoring fourth quarter in which EMU outscored the Rockets, 26-15.
Aiding Hill in the victory was Sisi Eleko (Montreal, Quebec/New Hope Academy/Canisius), who recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds, as EMU also got a strong outing from Fernanda Ovalle (Santiago, Chile/Montverde Academy/Xavier), who scored 20 points, highlighted by 50% shooting (3-for-6) from three-point range.
How it Happened
Toledo got out to a commanding 8-0 lead with 7:40 to go in the first quarter. The Eagles then went on an 11-0 run led by Peyton Hill (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy), who recorded five points and an assist during the stretch to give them an 11-8 lead going into the first timeout with 4:06 remaining. After a burst of seven points, Toledo ended the quarter on top, 15-13.
Toledo grew its lead by one point after back-and-forth scoring by both teams, and held a 25-22 edge with 3:53 to go. More back-and-forth scoring followed after a quick 10-1 Toledo run from 4:51 to 2:38. The half was finished off with a last-second steal and bucket by Hill to bring the score to 34-30 in favor of Toledo. Hill had a team-high nine points at the break.
Toledo knocked down two triples and elevated its lead to nine, its largest of the game, after a 10-5 run to make it 44-35 before a timeout was called with 7:20 to go. The Eagles clawed back from the timeout and cut Toledo's lead to 6, making it 47-41 with 4:25 remaining. Out of the timeout, Toledo's lead ballooned to 13 thanks to a quick 7-0 run. Eastern responded with a 9-2 run of its own to bring Toledo's lead back down to 6, making it 56-50 at the end of three quarters.
Eastern continued its hot streak and started the fourth quarter off with a 6-0 run, which tied the game up at 56 with 8:25 remaining. The Eagles took a 64-63 lead with 4:30 remaining courtesy of a mid-range jumper from Sisi Eleko (Montreal, Quebec/New Hope Academy/Canisius). After Toledo took a four-point lead with 2:31 to go, the Eagles fought back once again and reclaimed the lead with 1:25 remaining after Ovalle knocked down two free throws to bring the score to 70-69. Two successful trips to the line in the final minute by Hill put the Eagles up 74-71 with 37.3 seconds left in regulation. A forced turnover on defense and another set of makes at the line from Hill brought the Eagles to the final score of 76-71, resulting in an Eastern victory.
Game Notes
» Eastern's record improved to 8-9 (2-5 MAC) and Toledo's went to 8-8 (3-3 MAC).
» Eastern led for 8:02 of game time as its largest lead of the game was five points by the final score of 76-71.
» Eastern shot 77.8% (7-for-9) from the field, 91.7% (11-for-12) from the free-throw line, and 50.0% from beyond the arc (1-for-2) in the fourth quarter, compared to 37.5% (6-for-16) from the field for Toledo in the game's final quarter.
» The win marked Eastern's second fourth-quarter comeback this season as it previously topped Duquesne, 74-72, after entering the fourth quarter down by one, 59-58.
» Eastern shot 45.0% or better from the field for the fifth time this season, improving to 3-2 when doing so. The game marked the 13th time a Nusseibeh-led EMU team has eclipsed 45.0% from the floor in a single game.
» Sisi Eleko, Peyton Hill, and Fernanda Ovalle combine for 24 points in the fourth quarter, accounting for 92.3% (24-of-26) of the Eagles' points in the quarter.
» Peyton Hill's 25 points are the most from a MAC freshman in a single game this season.
» Peyton Hill recorded her third game with 20+ points this season as she scored 25 points off 8-for-13 shooting.
» Peyton Hill recorded her 13th game with double-digit points this season as she scored a career high 25 points off 8-for-13 shooting and a perfect 8-for-8 at the free throw line. Her 13 double-digit scoring games are the second-highest total on the team, and most from a MAC freshman.
» Peyton Hill grabbed a career-high eight rebounds and was two away from notching the first double-double of her career.
» Peyton Hill tied a career high with three steals. She has three steals in two of her last three games.
» Fernanda Ovalle recorded her 10th double-digit scoring game of the season with 20 points. She has scored at least 10 points in nine of her last 11 games for the first time in her career, as the 20-point outing was her fourth of the season and fifth of her career.
» Sisi Eleko scored 16 points, marking her 16th double-digit scoring game this season, as she has scored at least 10 points in all 16 games she has played in this season.
Historical Notes
» Eastern Michigan and Toledo met for the 95th time. EMU is now 36-59 against the Rockets and 19-27 when facing them in Ypsilanti.
» The Eagles came back from down 13 points, marking the second-largest comeback win in the Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh (2024-present) era. EMU came back from down 21 to earn the first win the Nusseibeh tenure, a 72-60 victory over Xavier, Dec. 1, 2024.
» The 95 meetings between EMU and Toledo mark the most between EMU and an out-of-state opponent. It is the third-longest series in EMU history.
» Eastern beat Toledo for the first time since Feb. 21, 2021, a 69-59 home win. The win marked the 400th combined victory inside the then-Convocation Center for both the EMU men's and women's basketball programs.
» Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh earned her first career victory over Toledo.
» Eastern's 55.0% (28-for-51) rate from the field is its best in the Nusseibeh era (2024-present).
» Sisi Eleko's ninth double-double of the season brings her EMU career total to 23. She is eight away from tying Ce'Nara Skanes for the most in program history.
» Peyton Hill's three 20-point games are the most from an EMU freshman since Aaliyah Stanley also had three in the 2019-20 season.
» Peyton Hill's 25 points are the most from an EMU freshman in a single game since Jenna Annecchiarico scored 26 in an 81-74 win over Bowling Green, Jan. 23, 2019.
» Fernanda Ovalle needs 47 points to reach the 500 mark. Sisi Eleko needs 72 rebounds to reach 1,000 and 64 to hit 500 as an Eagle. She needs seven double-doubles to reach 50 in her NCAA tenure. Furthermore, Eleko needs eight total double-doubles to tie for the most in program history and 10 to be the sole record owner. Ainhoa Cea needs 43 assists to hit 500 in her career and 50 rebounds to reach the same mark, while Brooklyn Thrash needs 25 triples to hit 100 in her NCAA career and 170 rebounds to total 500.
» The Eagles have recorded at least one three-pointer in 149 consecutive games, the third-longest stretch since the start of the 1999-00 season. The longest streak in that period is 281 games, which began 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 lasted 157 games, from Dec. 9, 2014, to Nov. 29, 2020, against visiting UIC, when no makes ended the streak.
Up Next
Eastern remains home to face Northern Illinois University Saturday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m., inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center. The game will mark the Huskies' last appearance in Ypsilanti as members of the Mid-American Conference. Fans can purchase tickets here.
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.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University women's basketball freshman Peyton Hill scored a career-high 25 points, lifting the Eagles to a 76-71 thrilling win over the University of Toledo Tuesday night inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center, Jan. 20, in Mid-American Conference action.
Hill's 25 points are the most from a MAC freshman this season. The Eagles earned their first win over Toledo since 2021, led by a high-scoring fourth quarter in which EMU outscored the Rockets, 26-15.
Aiding Hill in the victory was Sisi Eleko (Montreal, Quebec/New Hope Academy/Canisius), who recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds, as EMU also got a strong outing from Fernanda Ovalle (Santiago, Chile/Montverde Academy/Xavier), who scored 20 points, highlighted by 50% shooting (3-for-6) from three-point range.
How it Happened
Toledo got out to a commanding 8-0 lead with 7:40 to go in the first quarter. The Eagles then went on an 11-0 run led by Peyton Hill (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy), who recorded five points and an assist during the stretch to give them an 11-8 lead going into the first timeout with 4:06 remaining. After a burst of seven points, Toledo ended the quarter on top, 15-13.
Toledo grew its lead by one point after back-and-forth scoring by both teams, and held a 25-22 edge with 3:53 to go. More back-and-forth scoring followed after a quick 10-1 Toledo run from 4:51 to 2:38. The half was finished off with a last-second steal and bucket by Hill to bring the score to 34-30 in favor of Toledo. Hill had a team-high nine points at the break.
Toledo knocked down two triples and elevated its lead to nine, its largest of the game, after a 10-5 run to make it 44-35 before a timeout was called with 7:20 to go. The Eagles clawed back from the timeout and cut Toledo's lead to 6, making it 47-41 with 4:25 remaining. Out of the timeout, Toledo's lead ballooned to 13 thanks to a quick 7-0 run. Eastern responded with a 9-2 run of its own to bring Toledo's lead back down to 6, making it 56-50 at the end of three quarters.
Eastern continued its hot streak and started the fourth quarter off with a 6-0 run, which tied the game up at 56 with 8:25 remaining. The Eagles took a 64-63 lead with 4:30 remaining courtesy of a mid-range jumper from Sisi Eleko (Montreal, Quebec/New Hope Academy/Canisius). After Toledo took a four-point lead with 2:31 to go, the Eagles fought back once again and reclaimed the lead with 1:25 remaining after Ovalle knocked down two free throws to bring the score to 70-69. Two successful trips to the line in the final minute by Hill put the Eagles up 74-71 with 37.3 seconds left in regulation. A forced turnover on defense and another set of makes at the line from Hill brought the Eagles to the final score of 76-71, resulting in an Eastern victory.
Game Notes
» Eastern's record improved to 8-9 (2-5 MAC) and Toledo's went to 8-8 (3-3 MAC).
» Eastern led for 8:02 of game time as its largest lead of the game was five points by the final score of 76-71.
» Eastern shot 77.8% (7-for-9) from the field, 91.7% (11-for-12) from the free-throw line, and 50.0% from beyond the arc (1-for-2) in the fourth quarter, compared to 37.5% (6-for-16) from the field for Toledo in the game's final quarter.
» The win marked Eastern's second fourth-quarter comeback this season as it previously topped Duquesne, 74-72, after entering the fourth quarter down by one, 59-58.
» Eastern shot 45.0% or better from the field for the fifth time this season, improving to 3-2 when doing so. The game marked the 13th time a Nusseibeh-led EMU team has eclipsed 45.0% from the floor in a single game.
» Sisi Eleko, Peyton Hill, and Fernanda Ovalle combine for 24 points in the fourth quarter, accounting for 92.3% (24-of-26) of the Eagles' points in the quarter.
» Peyton Hill's 25 points are the most from a MAC freshman in a single game this season.
» Peyton Hill recorded her third game with 20+ points this season as she scored 25 points off 8-for-13 shooting.
» Peyton Hill recorded her 13th game with double-digit points this season as she scored a career high 25 points off 8-for-13 shooting and a perfect 8-for-8 at the free throw line. Her 13 double-digit scoring games are the second-highest total on the team, and most from a MAC freshman.
» Peyton Hill grabbed a career-high eight rebounds and was two away from notching the first double-double of her career.
» Peyton Hill tied a career high with three steals. She has three steals in two of her last three games.
» Fernanda Ovalle recorded her 10th double-digit scoring game of the season with 20 points. She has scored at least 10 points in nine of her last 11 games for the first time in her career, as the 20-point outing was her fourth of the season and fifth of her career.
» Sisi Eleko scored 16 points, marking her 16th double-digit scoring game this season, as she has scored at least 10 points in all 16 games she has played in this season.
Historical Notes
» Eastern Michigan and Toledo met for the 95th time. EMU is now 36-59 against the Rockets and 19-27 when facing them in Ypsilanti.
» The Eagles came back from down 13 points, marking the second-largest comeback win in the Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh (2024-present) era. EMU came back from down 21 to earn the first win the Nusseibeh tenure, a 72-60 victory over Xavier, Dec. 1, 2024.
» The 95 meetings between EMU and Toledo mark the most between EMU and an out-of-state opponent. It is the third-longest series in EMU history.
» Eastern beat Toledo for the first time since Feb. 21, 2021, a 69-59 home win. The win marked the 400th combined victory inside the then-Convocation Center for both the EMU men's and women's basketball programs.
» Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh earned her first career victory over Toledo.
» Eastern's 55.0% (28-for-51) rate from the field is its best in the Nusseibeh era (2024-present).
» Sisi Eleko's ninth double-double of the season brings her EMU career total to 23. She is eight away from tying Ce'Nara Skanes for the most in program history.
» Peyton Hill's three 20-point games are the most from an EMU freshman since Aaliyah Stanley also had three in the 2019-20 season.
» Peyton Hill's 25 points are the most from an EMU freshman in a single game since Jenna Annecchiarico scored 26 in an 81-74 win over Bowling Green, Jan. 23, 2019.
» Fernanda Ovalle needs 47 points to reach the 500 mark. Sisi Eleko needs 72 rebounds to reach 1,000 and 64 to hit 500 as an Eagle. She needs seven double-doubles to reach 50 in her NCAA tenure. Furthermore, Eleko needs eight total double-doubles to tie for the most in program history and 10 to be the sole record owner. Ainhoa Cea needs 43 assists to hit 500 in her career and 50 rebounds to reach the same mark, while Brooklyn Thrash needs 25 triples to hit 100 in her NCAA career and 170 rebounds to total 500.
» The Eagles have recorded at least one three-pointer in 149 consecutive games, the third-longest stretch since the start of the 1999-00 season. The longest streak in that period is 281 games, which began 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 lasted 157 games, from Dec. 9, 2014, to Nov. 29, 2020, against visiting UIC, when no makes ended the streak.
Up Next
Eastern remains home to face Northern Illinois University Saturday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m., inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center. The game will mark the Huskies' last appearance in Ypsilanti as members of the Mid-American Conference. Fans can purchase tickets here.
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.
Team Stats
UT
EMU
FG%
.528
.549
3FG%
.474
.308
FT%
.500
.842
RB
24
28
TO
15
12
STL
3
4
Game Leaders
Pts
25
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
8
Pts
20
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
5
Pts
16
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's BasketballM/F
/ Women's BasketballY
/ Women's BasketballY/W
/ Women's BasketballM
/ Women's BasketballWomen's Basketball Postgame Celebration, EMU Beats Toledo, 77-71
Wednesday, January 21
Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh Postgame Interview, EMU Beats Toledo, 76-71
Wednesday, January 21
Fernanda Ovalle Highlights at Central Michigan, Jan. 17, 2026
Tuesday, January 20
Sisi Eleko 1,500 Points Highlight
Saturday, January 17