{"id":261255,"date":"2025-11-04T05:08:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T05:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/261255\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T05:08:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T05:08:11","slug":"womens-basketball-drops-mac-sbc-challenge-season-opener-at-ulm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/261255\/","title":{"rendered":"Women’s Basketball Drops MAC-SBC Challenge Season Opener at ULM"},"content":{"rendered":"

MONROE, La. \u00a0(EMUEagles.com) \u2013 \u00a0The 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.
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\nSenior Sisi Eleko<\/a> (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<\/a> (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.
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\nSenior Brooklyn Thrash<\/a> (Wayne, Ohio\/Elmwood\/Canisius) scored 11 points and corralled five rebounds while shooting 5-for-6 from the free-throw line.
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\nHow it Happened
\nEastern started the game strong, ending the first quarter on top, 19-18.
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\nThe game turned physical in the second quarter, featuring a litany of fouls on both teams as Eastern entered the half down three, 38-35.
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\nThe 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.
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\nThe game ended in an 80-73 final in favor of the WarHawks.
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\nGame Notes
\n\u00bb Eastern’s record shifted to 0-1 (0-0 MAC) and Louisiana Monroe’s went to 1-0 (0-0 SBC)
\n\u00bb Eastern’s 73 points scored and 83.4% clip from the free-throw line both rank first in the MAC this season.
\n\u00bb Sisi Eleko<\/a> 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.
\n\u00bb Peyton Hill<\/a> collected 17 points, becoming the first freshman to hit the double-digit mark in their collegiate debut since Olivia Smith<\/a> scored 13 in a win over Lindenwood, Nov. 7, 2022. She added four rebounds and four assists.
\n\u00bb Peyton Hill<\/a>‘s 17 points are the most from a MAC freshman after one game this season.
\n\u00bb Ainhoa Cea<\/a> (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.
\n\u00bb Fernanda Ovalle<\/a> (Santiago, Chile\/Montverde Academy\/Xavier) (10), Peyton Hill<\/a> (St. Louis, Mo.\/Incarnate Word Academy) (17), Ainhoa Cea<\/a> (Irun, Spain\/IES Pio Baroja Bhi\/Lipscomb) (five), Artemis Kouki<\/a> (Athens, Greece\/ACS Athens\/Western Michigan) (two), and Oliwia Pelka<\/a> (Sosnowiec, Poland\/Virtus Eirene Ragusa (Italy) (nine) each scored their first points as an Eagle.
\n\u00bb Fernanda Ovalle<\/a>, Ainhoa Cea<\/a>, Peyton Hill<\/a>, Alli Zajac<\/a> (Tecumseh, Mich.\/Tecumseh), Artemis Kouki<\/a>, Oliwia Pelka<\/a>, and Sarah Rekowksi (Hartland, Mich.\/Hartland\/Western Michigan) each made their respective EMU debuts.
\n\u00bb Fernanda Ovalle<\/a> poured in 10 points for her ninth 10+ point performance of her career and made multiple three-point baskets (two) for the second time.<\/p>\n

Historical Notes

\n\u00bb The meeting marked the first between Eastern and Louisiana Monroe. EMU now tails the all-time series, 1-0.

\n\u00bb Peyton Hill<\/a>‘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.

\n\u00bb Brooklyn Thrash<\/a>‘s 11 points brought her career total to 498 as she needs just two more to reach the 500 mark in her career.

\n\u00bb Eastern shot 83.3% from the free-throw line, a figure that ranks inside the program top 20 for a single game.

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\nUp Next

\nEastern hits the road for a dance with Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh<\/a>‘s former institution, Canisius University Friday, Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m. Fans can stream the game live on ESPN+. <\/a>\u00a0

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\nFollow Us

\nStay connected with the Eagles all season long by following\u00a0@EMUWBB<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0@EMUAthletics<\/a>\u00a0on X for all the latest EMU women’s basketball updates. Be sure to also follow the Eagles\u00a0on Instagram\u00a0@emuwbb<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0@emuathletics<\/a>

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