East Michigan News

The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team faced a challenging game against the University of Akron, resulting in a 61-56 loss on January 11 at the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti. Despite a strong defensive start, the Eagles could not maintain their lead.

Sisi Eleko contributed 17 points and Mackenzie Amalia added 16 for the Eagles, who now hold a record of 1-13 overall and 0-4 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Zips improved to 9-7 overall and 3-1 in conference play with this victory.

In the first quarter, EMU's defense limited Akron to just 16 points and forced three turnovers. Eleko scored seven points while Amalia added five. Although Eastern briefly took the lead early in the second quarter, Akron responded with a significant run, ending the half with a 32-25 advantage.

The third quarter saw a setback for EMU when Olivia Smith received a technical foul after reducing Akron's lead to two points. The Zips capitalized by extending their lead to double digits before entering the final quarter ahead by twelve.

Eastern fought back in the fourth quarter but could only narrow the gap to five points as time ran out. Amalia was notable for her performance, scoring nine points during this period.

Amalia's recent performances have been impressive, marking her third consecutive game scoring over 14 points. "Her 16 points marked the third consecutive game she has scored 14+ points," stated EMUEagles.com.

Sisi Eleko led all players with eight rebounds alongside her point tally. Olivia Smith also reached double figures for the fifth time this season.

Brooklyn Thrash contributed seven rebounds and six points for Eastern Michigan, while Eleko's consistent performance extended her streak of scoring at least ten points per game throughout this season.

The Eagles maintained their long-standing streak of games with at least one three-pointer made but couldn't secure a win despite allowing only one other team fewer than Akron's total of 61 points this season.

Historically, this loss adds to Eastern Michigan’s challenges against Akron, marking their sixth straight defeat against them. The upcoming match against Buffalo offers another opportunity for improvement as they continue their MAC campaign on January 15 at home.