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How It Unfolded
The Eagles’ defense commenced strongly, restricting Akron to 16 points while causing three turnovers, including two shot clock violations. Eleko scored a team-best seven points in the quarter while Amalia contributed five points to help the Eagles remain competitive.
Eastern quickly scored with Amalia attacking the basket before claiming their first lead of the game with 7:13 left, but the Zips went on a 13-4 surge to finish the second quarter with a 32-25 advantage at halftime. Olivia Smith (Fort Wayne, Ind./South Side) was accurate on both of her deep shots to total six points while Eleko added four more, reaching double digits for the 14th time in 14 outings this season.
During the third, the Eagles narrowed the gap to two points with a Smith layup, but a technical foul was called on Smith afterwards and the Zips converted both free throws to ignite a 9-0 run, reclaiming an 11-point lead with two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Following that, Olivia Westphal (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park/Duquesne) drained a three-pointer to cease the run, but the Zips responded with two baskets of their own for a 12-point cushion heading into the final quarter, 50-38.
The Eagles persisted throughout the fourth quarter and trimmed the deficit to five points with 2:38 to go, but could not draw nearer as the Zips sealed the win, 61-56. Amalia netted nine points in the quarter shooting 4-of-5 from the field while Eleko powered into the lane for two tough baskets, and Thrash sank a three-pointer along with a put-back under the rim for the remaining scoring in the game.
Game Highlights
» Mackenzie Amalia scored 16 points shooting 7-of-14 while providing a team-high four assists and two steals. Her 16 points signified her third consecutive game scoring 14+ points, marking the first time she has achieved this in her career. Amalia has accumulated 48 points over the past three games combined (14 at Bowling Green (Jan. 4), 18 at Ball State (Jan. 8), and 16 against the Zips), which is a personal best, surpassing the 38 she scored across three games earlier this season. That sequence included 10 at No. 8 Notre Dame (Dec. 15), 18 at UT Rio Grande Valley (Dec. 19), and 11 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Dec. 20).
» Sisi Eleko concluded the contest with 17 points and eight rebounds, leading all players in both categories. With these points, Eleko has now scored at least 10 points in every game played this year and has recorded 55 career games with 10+ points.
» Olivia Smith finished with 10 points, marking the fifth time this season she has registered double digits. Smith was 2-of-3 from long range in this match.
» Brooklyn Thrash (Wayne, Ohio/Elmwood/Canisius) gathered seven rebounds alongside her six points against the Zips. Her seven boards mark a season high, exceeding the six she secured against Xavier on Dec. 1.
» The Eagles completed 7-of-23 from beyond the arc, extending their current streak to 117 consecutive games with at least one successful three-pointer. Sisi Eleko hit a shot from the top of the arc with 4:00 left in the first quarter to maintain the streak. The last time EMU failed to convert a long-range shot was Nov. 29, 2020, when Eastern finished at 0-of-15 from three-point range at home against UIC.
» The 61 points Akron scored in the matchup are the second-fewest the Eagles allowed in the 2024-25 season, with only the 60 points conceded to Xavier (Dec. 1) being fewer. Additionally, the 61 points for UA stands as the fewest EMU has allowed to a MAC opponent this year, exceeding the 65 given up to Western Michigan in the MAC opener on Jan. 1.
Historical Insights
» Following this defeat, the Eagles dropped to 1-13 overall and 0-4 in the MAC, while the Zips improved to 9-7 overall and 3-1 in conference play.
» Eastern’s record now stands at 19-31 all-time against Akron, having suffered six straight losses in the rivalry. Furthermore, the Eagles are now 10-15 while hosting the Zips in Ypsilanti and have lost four consecutively at home.
» The score of 61-56 concluded a two-game streak where the Eagles and Zips played to a one-possession score. EMU previously lost, 72-70 (-2) at Akron, Feb. 15, 2023, before falling in overtime, 68-67, to Akron, Feb. 7, 2024.
Next Up
The Eagles will be back in action on Wednesday, Jan. 15, as the University at Buffalo Bulls visit for a 6:30 p.m. game at the George Gervin GameAbove Center. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+, and fans can also listen to WEMU (89.1 FM) and The Varsity Network to catch the call from Tom Helmer live from courtside.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)
– The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball squad fought until the end, but a tough defensive effort toward the conclusion wasn’t sufficient as the Eagles lost a home Mid-American Conference match to the visiting University of Akron, 61-56, on Jan. 11, at the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti. Sisi Eleko (Montreal, Quebec/New Hope Academy/Canisius) netted 17 points and Mackenzie Amalia (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk/Canisius) contributed 16 for the Eagles (1-13, 0-4 MAC) as the Zips (9-7, 3-1 MAC) clinched the victory.How It Unfolded
The Eagles’ defense commenced strongly, restricting Akron to 16 points while causing three turnovers, including two shot clock violations. Eleko scored a team-best seven points in the quarter while Amalia contributed five points to help the Eagles remain competitive.
Eastern quickly scored with Amalia attacking the basket before claiming their first lead of the game with 7:13 left, but the Zips went on a 13-4 surge to finish the second quarter with a 32-25 advantage at halftime. Olivia Smith (Fort Wayne, Ind./South Side) was accurate on both of her deep shots to total six points while Eleko added four more, reaching double digits for the 14th time in 14 outings this season.
During the third, the Eagles narrowed the gap to two points with a Smith layup, but a technical foul was called on Smith afterwards and the Zips converted both free throws to ignite a 9-0 run, reclaiming an 11-point lead with two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Following that, Olivia Westphal (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park/Duquesne) drained a three-pointer to cease the run, but the Zips responded with two baskets of their own for a 12-point cushion heading into the final quarter, 50-38.
The Eagles persisted throughout the fourth quarter and trimmed the deficit to five points with 2:38 to go, but could not draw nearer as the Zips sealed the win, 61-56. Amalia netted nine points in the quarter shooting 4-of-5 from the field while Eleko powered into the lane for two tough baskets, and Thrash sank a three-pointer along with a put-back under the rim for the remaining scoring in the game.
Game Highlights
» Mackenzie Amalia scored 16 points shooting 7-of-14 while providing a team-high four assists and two steals. Her 16 points signified her third consecutive game scoring 14+ points, marking the first time she has achieved this in her career. Amalia has accumulated 48 points over the past three games combined (14 at Bowling Green (Jan. 4), 18 at Ball State (Jan. 8), and 16 against the Zips), which is a personal best, surpassing the 38 she scored across three games earlier this season. That sequence included 10 at No. 8 Notre Dame (Dec. 15), 18 at UT Rio Grande Valley (Dec. 19), and 11 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Dec. 20).
» Sisi Eleko concluded the contest with 17 points and eight rebounds, leading all players in both categories. With these points, Eleko has now scored at least 10 points in every game played this year and has recorded 55 career games with 10+ points.
» Olivia Smith finished with 10 points, marking the fifth time this season she has registered double digits. Smith was 2-of-3 from long range in this match.
» Brooklyn Thrash (Wayne, Ohio/Elmwood/Canisius) gathered seven rebounds alongside her six points against the Zips. Her seven boards mark a season high, exceeding the six she secured against Xavier on Dec. 1.
» The Eagles completed 7-of-23 from beyond the arc, extending their current streak to 117 consecutive games with at least one successful three-pointer. Sisi Eleko hit a shot from the top of the arc with 4:00 left in the first quarter to maintain the streak. The last time EMU failed to convert a long-range shot was Nov. 29, 2020, when Eastern finished at 0-of-15 from three-point range at home against UIC.
» The 61 points Akron scored in the matchup are the second-fewest the Eagles allowed in the 2024-25 season, with only the 60 points conceded to Xavier (Dec. 1) being fewer. Additionally, the 61 points for UA stands as the fewest EMU has allowed to a MAC opponent this year, exceeding the 65 given up to Western Michigan in the MAC opener on Jan. 1.
Historical Insights
» Following this defeat, the Eagles dropped to 1-13 overall and 0-4 in the MAC, while the Zips improved to 9-7 overall and 3-1 in conference play.
» Eastern’s record now stands at 19-31 all-time against Akron, having suffered six straight losses in the rivalry. Furthermore, the Eagles are now 10-15 while hosting the Zips in Ypsilanti and have lost four consecutively at home.
» The score of 61-56 concluded a two-game streak where the Eagles and Zips played to a one-possession score. EMU previously lost, 72-70 (-2) at Akron, Feb. 15, 2023, before falling in overtime, 68-67, to Akron, Feb. 7, 2024.
Next Up
The Eagles will be back in action on Wednesday, Jan. 15, as the University at Buffalo Bulls visit for a 6:30 p.m. game at the George Gervin GameAbove Center. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+, and fans can also listen to WEMU (89.1 FM) and The Varsity Network to catch the call from Tom Helmer live from courtside.
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