Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, February 7
Ypsilanti, Mich.
2 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
11-11,4-7MAC
76
vs
73
Arkansas State
20-5,11-1Sun Belt
1
2
3
4
OT 1
F
Arkansas St.
21
12
16
15
9
73
Eastern Mich.
14
14
19
17
12
76
Photo by: Joey Wolter
Hill's Big Second Half Leads Women's Hoops to Overtime Upset over Arkansas State in MAC-SBC Challenge
2/7/2026 5:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Hill’s triple with 17 seconds to go gave Eastern the lead, and the ensuing defensive stand, and Ovalle free throws secured the win
Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh Postgame Interview | Winning Moments Video | Postgame Celebration Video
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team came back from an 11-point deficit via 23 second-half points from Peyton Hill to upend Sun Belt Conference leader Arkansas State University, 76-73, in overtime, in the second leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge, at the George Gervin GameAbove Center, Saturday, Feb. 7.
Hill's (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy) three-point jumper with 17 seconds to go gave Eastern the one-point lead and the ensuing defensive stand, and Fernanda Ovalle (Santiago, Chile/Montverde Academy/Xavier) secured the victory from the free-throw line
How it Happened
The Eagles and Red Wolves struggled to get things going at the start of the game as Eastern was shooting 3-for-8 and Arkansas State was 3-for-11 by the 4:38 mark of the first period. The Red Wolves' aggressive full-court trap put pressure on the Eagles, resulting in a 10-2 ASU run over the remaining 2:56 of the period, forcing four EMU turnovers, bringing the score to 21-14.
The physicality continued into the second period, with Eastern scoring 16 of its 23 total points by the 4:12 mark of the quarter. Eastern was able to turn the defensive momentum in its favor, going on a 10-3 run during a four-minute cold streak from ASU with three forced turnovers by EMU, resulting in a 27-26 score in favor of the Red Wolves at the 3:23 mark. Eastern and Arkansas State continued to go back-and-forth, closing the period with a 33-28 score, with Arkansas State on top.
Arkansas State grew its lead to nine points out of the half as the score was 43-34 by the first timeout of the quarter at the 4:31 mark. Eastern went on a 7-0 run in the final 2:47 of the quarter to trim the Red Wolves' lead back down to just two, 49-47, at the end of the quarter.
Both teams exchanged blows in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter as the Red Wolves kept their lead at two with under four minutes to go. At 3:06, Sisi Eleko (Montreal, Quebec/New Hope Academy/Canisius) made an equalizing bucket to bring the score to 59-59. Arkansas State scored the next five points of the game. With 34 seconds left, Hill knocked down a three-pointer to keep EMU in the game at 64-62. A dribbling violation by the Red Wolves gave the Eagles the chance to tie or win the game with 8.9 seconds left, leading to a Hill layup with 5.7 remaining, evening the score once again. A blocked three-point attempt by Ovalle sent the game into overtime with a score of 64-64.
Neither team missed a shot in the first 2:55 of the overtime period. Arkansas State held a one-point edge with 17.1 seconds left, until Hill made another clutch basket to make the score 74-73, EMU. After holding the Red Wolves to zero points in the final 2:36 of the overtime period, the Eagles won by a score of 76-73, securing the upset win over the No. 6 ranked mid-major team in the country.
Game Notes
» Eastern's record went to 11-11 (4-7 MAC), and Arkansas State's shifted to 20-5 (11-1 SBC).
» Eastern had four players (Hill, 27; Eleko, 18; Thrash, 14; Ovalle, 13) score double-digit points in the same game for the seventh time this season.
» Eastern had a season-high eight blocks. It also pulled down 51 rebounds, its most against an NCAA Division I opponent this season.
» Eastern came back from down 11 points in the second quarter, marking the Eagles' second-largest comeback win of the season as it trailed by 13 against Toledo and won, 76-71, Jan. 20.
» Eastern scored 42 paint points, marking its eighth time this season eclipsing 40 points in the paint, producing a 7-1 record when doing so.
» Peyton Hill scored 23 points in the second half of play plus the overtime period.
» Peyton Hill recorded her 18th game with double-digit points this season as she scored a career-best 27 points on 10-for-15 shooting. The game marked her fifth over 20 points this season, the most from a MAC freshman. She added seven rebounds and played a career-high 40 minutes.
» Sisi Eleko recorded her 22nd game with double-digit points this season and 24th consecutive game doing so, dating back to the 2024-25 season. She scored 18 points and tied her career best with two blocks.
» Sisi Eleko notched her MAC-best 13th double-double of the season with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Her 13 double-doubles rank third nationally by value.
» Brooklyn Thrash posted her ninth game of the season with 10+ points, scoring 13 points off 4-for-11 shooting. She also posted her eighth game of the season with at least 10 points and five rebounds, finishing the game with eight rebounds.
» Fernanda Ovalle recorded her 13th double-digit scoring performance of the season with 13 points. She swatted with a career-best four blocks, three of which occurred in crucial moments of the game, as one occurred in the final second of the fourth quarter and two came in overtime.
Historical Notes
» Eastern is now 2-4 all-time in the MAC-SBC Challenge and 2-1 when playing at home.
» Eastern is now 11-10 all-time against the Sun Belt Conference.
» Eastern is now 1-0 against Arkansas State.
» Peyton Hill has the most games with double-digit points of an EMU freshman (18) and most 20-point outings (five) since Courtnie Lewis recorded 22 in the 2017-18 season. Hill's 27 points are the most from an EMU freshman in a single game since Lewis dropped 29 at Ball State eight years ago, today, Feb. 7, 2018.
» Fernanda Ovalle's 13 points brought her to 508 in career points, 277 of which have come at EMU. She is the first Chilean-born woman in NCAA Division I history to score 500 career points.
» Fernanda Ovalle's four blocks are the most from an individual Eagle in a single game since Tayra Eke recorded six in a win over Miami, Jan. 17, 2024.
» Sisi Eleko's 27 double-doubles rank second on the programs all-time list (since 1997). She needs four more to tie Ce'Nara Skanes (2020-2023) for the most in program history (31).
» Sisi Eleko needs 13 rebounds to reach 1,000 and five to hit 500 as an Eagle. Ainhoa Cea needs two assists to hit 500 in her career and 26 rebounds to reach the same mark, while Brooklyn Thrash needs 22 triples to hit 100 in her NCAA career and 150 rebounds to total 500.
» This is Eastern's first win when losing the turnover margin by greater than 10 (20-10) since Jan. 25, 2023, when the Eagles turned it over 12 more times than Western Michigan and won, 63-51.
» The overtime win is the first under Sahar Nusseibeh, who moves to 1-2 in overtime games with the Eagles. Eastern is now 24-29 all-time in overtime games. This also marks the Eagles' first OT win since they beat Northern Illinois, Jan. 21, 2023, and second overtime win since Jan. 27, 2018.
» EMU kept the Red Wolves in check from long range, holding them to 22% (9-for-41) from the three-point line. This is the first time since March 8, 2014, that an EMU opponent shot more than 40 threes, as the last time was another overtime tilt, this time against Central Michigan, resulting in a 99-84 Eagle's victory.
» The Eagles have recorded at least one three-pointer in 154 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 and started Dec. 9, 2014, and ended Nov. 29, 2020, against visiting UIC, when no makes halted the streak.
Up Next
Eastern resumes MAC play as it faces Ball State for the second time this season, hosting the Cardinals Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 6:30 p.m., inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
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) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team came back from an 11-point deficit via 23 second-half points from Peyton Hill to upend Sun Belt Conference leader Arkansas State University, 76-73, in overtime, in the second leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge, at the George Gervin GameAbove Center, Saturday, Feb. 7.
Hill's (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy) three-point jumper with 17 seconds to go gave Eastern the one-point lead and the ensuing defensive stand, and Fernanda Ovalle (Santiago, Chile/Montverde Academy/Xavier) secured the victory from the free-throw line
How it Happened
The Eagles and Red Wolves struggled to get things going at the start of the game as Eastern was shooting 3-for-8 and Arkansas State was 3-for-11 by the 4:38 mark of the first period. The Red Wolves' aggressive full-court trap put pressure on the Eagles, resulting in a 10-2 ASU run over the remaining 2:56 of the period, forcing four EMU turnovers, bringing the score to 21-14.
The physicality continued into the second period, with Eastern scoring 16 of its 23 total points by the 4:12 mark of the quarter. Eastern was able to turn the defensive momentum in its favor, going on a 10-3 run during a four-minute cold streak from ASU with three forced turnovers by EMU, resulting in a 27-26 score in favor of the Red Wolves at the 3:23 mark. Eastern and Arkansas State continued to go back-and-forth, closing the period with a 33-28 score, with Arkansas State on top.
Arkansas State grew its lead to nine points out of the half as the score was 43-34 by the first timeout of the quarter at the 4:31 mark. Eastern went on a 7-0 run in the final 2:47 of the quarter to trim the Red Wolves' lead back down to just two, 49-47, at the end of the quarter.
Both teams exchanged blows in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter as the Red Wolves kept their lead at two with under four minutes to go. At 3:06, Sisi Eleko (Montreal, Quebec/New Hope Academy/Canisius) made an equalizing bucket to bring the score to 59-59. Arkansas State scored the next five points of the game. With 34 seconds left, Hill knocked down a three-pointer to keep EMU in the game at 64-62. A dribbling violation by the Red Wolves gave the Eagles the chance to tie or win the game with 8.9 seconds left, leading to a Hill layup with 5.7 remaining, evening the score once again. A blocked three-point attempt by Ovalle sent the game into overtime with a score of 64-64.
Neither team missed a shot in the first 2:55 of the overtime period. Arkansas State held a one-point edge with 17.1 seconds left, until Hill made another clutch basket to make the score 74-73, EMU. After holding the Red Wolves to zero points in the final 2:36 of the overtime period, the Eagles won by a score of 76-73, securing the upset win over the No. 6 ranked mid-major team in the country.
Game Notes
» Eastern's record went to 11-11 (4-7 MAC), and Arkansas State's shifted to 20-5 (11-1 SBC).
» Eastern had four players (Hill, 27; Eleko, 18; Thrash, 14; Ovalle, 13) score double-digit points in the same game for the seventh time this season.
» Eastern had a season-high eight blocks. It also pulled down 51 rebounds, its most against an NCAA Division I opponent this season.
» Eastern came back from down 11 points in the second quarter, marking the Eagles' second-largest comeback win of the season as it trailed by 13 against Toledo and won, 76-71, Jan. 20.
» Eastern scored 42 paint points, marking its eighth time this season eclipsing 40 points in the paint, producing a 7-1 record when doing so.
» Peyton Hill scored 23 points in the second half of play plus the overtime period.
» Peyton Hill recorded her 18th game with double-digit points this season as she scored a career-best 27 points on 10-for-15 shooting. The game marked her fifth over 20 points this season, the most from a MAC freshman. She added seven rebounds and played a career-high 40 minutes.
» Sisi Eleko recorded her 22nd game with double-digit points this season and 24th consecutive game doing so, dating back to the 2024-25 season. She scored 18 points and tied her career best with two blocks.
» Sisi Eleko notched her MAC-best 13th double-double of the season with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Her 13 double-doubles rank third nationally by value.
» Brooklyn Thrash posted her ninth game of the season with 10+ points, scoring 13 points off 4-for-11 shooting. She also posted her eighth game of the season with at least 10 points and five rebounds, finishing the game with eight rebounds.
» Fernanda Ovalle recorded her 13th double-digit scoring performance of the season with 13 points. She swatted with a career-best four blocks, three of which occurred in crucial moments of the game, as one occurred in the final second of the fourth quarter and two came in overtime.
Historical Notes
» Eastern is now 2-4 all-time in the MAC-SBC Challenge and 2-1 when playing at home.
» Eastern is now 11-10 all-time against the Sun Belt Conference.
» Eastern is now 1-0 against Arkansas State.
» Peyton Hill has the most games with double-digit points of an EMU freshman (18) and most 20-point outings (five) since Courtnie Lewis recorded 22 in the 2017-18 season. Hill's 27 points are the most from an EMU freshman in a single game since Lewis dropped 29 at Ball State eight years ago, today, Feb. 7, 2018.
» Fernanda Ovalle's 13 points brought her to 508 in career points, 277 of which have come at EMU. She is the first Chilean-born woman in NCAA Division I history to score 500 career points.
» Fernanda Ovalle's four blocks are the most from an individual Eagle in a single game since Tayra Eke recorded six in a win over Miami, Jan. 17, 2024.
» Sisi Eleko's 27 double-doubles rank second on the programs all-time list (since 1997). She needs four more to tie Ce'Nara Skanes (2020-2023) for the most in program history (31).
» Sisi Eleko needs 13 rebounds to reach 1,000 and five to hit 500 as an Eagle. Ainhoa Cea needs two assists to hit 500 in her career and 26 rebounds to reach the same mark, while Brooklyn Thrash needs 22 triples to hit 100 in her NCAA career and 150 rebounds to total 500.
» This is Eastern's first win when losing the turnover margin by greater than 10 (20-10) since Jan. 25, 2023, when the Eagles turned it over 12 more times than Western Michigan and won, 63-51.
» The overtime win is the first under Sahar Nusseibeh, who moves to 1-2 in overtime games with the Eagles. Eastern is now 24-29 all-time in overtime games. This also marks the Eagles' first OT win since they beat Northern Illinois, Jan. 21, 2023, and second overtime win since Jan. 27, 2018.
» EMU kept the Red Wolves in check from long range, holding them to 22% (9-for-41) from the three-point line. This is the first time since March 8, 2014, that an EMU opponent shot more than 40 threes, as the last time was another overtime tilt, this time against Central Michigan, resulting in a 99-84 Eagle's victory.
» The Eagles have recorded at least one three-pointer in 154 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 and started Dec. 9, 2014, and ended Nov. 29, 2020, against visiting UIC, when no makes halted the streak.
Up Next
Eastern resumes MAC play as it faces Ball State for the second time this season, hosting the Cardinals Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 6:30 p.m., inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
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
ASU
EMU
FG%
.321
.460
3FG%
.220
.313
FT%
.769
.619
RB
45
51
TO
10
20
STL
8
4
Game Leaders
Pts
27
FGM
10
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
18
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's BasketballM/F
/ Women's BasketballY
/ Women's BasketballY/W
/ Women's BasketballM
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Sunday, February 01