MONROE, La.  (EMUEagles.com) –  The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team dropped its season-opener to the University of Louisiana Monroe, 80-73, in the MAC-SBC Challenge inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum Monday night, Nov. 3.
 
Senior Sisi Eleko (Montreal, Quebec/New Hope Academy/Canisius) led the Eagles with 22 points off 8-for-17 shooting while grabbing a team-high five rebounds. Freshman Peyton Hill (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy) added 17 points while shooting a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. She added four rebounds and four assists.
 
Senior Brooklyn Thrash (Wayne, Ohio/Elmwood/Canisius) scored 11 points and corralled five rebounds while shooting 5-for-6 from the free-throw line.
 
How it Happened
Eastern started the game strong, ending the first quarter on top, 19-18.
 
The game turned physical in the second quarter, featuring a litany of fouls on both teams as Eastern entered the half down three, 38-35.
 
The WarHawks controlled the second half as they out-scored Eastern 42-36 in the second half and nearly doubled up EMU’s second half rebound total, 23-12, while the bench outscored EMU’s, 19-6.
 
The game ended in an 80-73 final in favor of the WarHawks.
 
Game Notes
» Eastern’s record shifted to 0-1 (0-0 MAC) and Louisiana Monroe’s went to 1-0 (0-0 SBC)
» Eastern’s 73 points scored and 83.4% clip from the free-throw line both rank first in the MAC this season.
» Sisi Eleko notched her first 20+ point game of the season and 19th of her career as she scored 22 points and added five rebounds. Eleko’s 22 points are the second-most from an individual in the MAC in the season’s early going.
» Peyton Hill collected 17 points, becoming the first freshman to hit the double-digit mark in their collegiate debut since Olivia Smith scored 13 in a win over Lindenwood, Nov. 7, 2022. She added four rebounds and four assists.
» Peyton Hill‘s 17 points are the most from a MAC freshman after one game this season.
» Ainhoa Cea (Irun, Spain/IES Pio Baroja Bhi/Lipscomb) played all 40 minutes for the third time in her career and first as an Eagle. Her five assists were a game high and tie for the most in the MAC through one game.
» Fernanda Ovalle (Santiago, Chile/Montverde Academy/Xavier) (10), Peyton Hill (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy) (17), Ainhoa Cea (Irun, Spain/IES Pio Baroja Bhi/Lipscomb) (five), Artemis Kouki (Athens, Greece/ACS Athens/Western Michigan) (two), and Oliwia Pelka (Sosnowiec, Poland/Virtus Eirene Ragusa (Italy) (nine) each scored their first points as an Eagle.
» Fernanda Ovalle, Ainhoa Cea, Peyton Hill, Alli Zajac (Tecumseh, Mich./Tecumseh), Artemis Kouki, Oliwia Pelka, and Sarah Rekowksi (Hartland, Mich./Hartland/Western Michigan) each made their respective EMU debuts.
» Fernanda Ovalle poured in 10 points for her ninth 10+ point performance of her career and made multiple three-point baskets (two) for the second time.

Historical Notes

» The meeting marked the first between Eastern and Louisiana Monroe. EMU now tails the all-time series, 1-0.

» Peyton Hill‘s 17 points are the most from an EMU freshman in their collegiate debut since Courtnie Lewis scored 18 in her NCAA debut against Florida A&M, Nov. 10, 2017.

» Brooklyn Thrash‘s 11 points brought her career total to 498 as she needs just two more to reach the 500 mark in her career.

» Eastern shot 83.3% from the free-throw line, a figure that ranks inside the program top 20 for a single game.

 

Up Next

Eastern hits the road for a dance with Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh‘s former institution, Canisius University Friday, Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m. Fans can stream the game live on ESPN+.  

 

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