Aaron Abraham Assistant Sports Performance Coach | Eastern Michigan Athletics Website
Aaron Abraham Assistant Sports Performance Coach | Eastern Michigan Athletics Website
The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team achieved its first victory of the season with a 72-60 win over Xavier University. The game took place at the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti on December 1. The Eagles, who were trailing by 20 points at halftime, managed to outscore Xavier 47-15 in the second half.
Eastern Michigan struggled initially, ending the first quarter behind by 12 points as Xavier shot an impressive 71.4 percent from the floor. By halftime, Xavier extended their lead to 20 points with a shooting percentage of 70.4 percent while holding Eastern Michigan to just 32 percent.
The second half saw a dramatic shift as Eastern Michigan started the third quarter with an 18-1 run and ended it with a 24-3 run, taking their first lead of the season entering the fourth quarter. The Eagles maintained their momentum in the final period, securing a comeback victory.
Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh recorded her first win with Eastern Michigan after joining for this season. "The win for the Eagles snapped a five-game losing streak," marking a significant turnaround for both the team and Coach Nusseibeh.
Sisi Eleko was instrumental in this victory, scoring 23 points and grabbing seven rebounds. She scored most of her points in the second half after being limited to two points in the opening half. Brooklyn Thrash contributed significantly with 16 points and six rebounds, while Mackenzie Amalia added ten points and eight assists.
The Eagles had three players scoring double digits for the first time this season: Sisi Eleko (23), Brooklyn Thrash (16), and Mackenzie Amalia (10). Jada Williams made her debut for Eastern Michigan after transferring from St. Peter's and recovering from an injury.
This win improved Eastern Michigan's record against Xavier to 2-0 all-time. It also marked their sixth win against current members of the Big East Conference.
Looking ahead, Eastern Michigan will face No.3 ranked University of Notre Dame on December 15 after a two-week break for fall semester exams.
Alerts Sign-up