The Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team lost on the road in their first two games at the UTRGV Holiday Classic in South Texas on Thursday and Friday, December 19 and 20.
The loss comes to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros in a hard-fought overtime effort, 73-66. The result drops Eastern Michigan’s record to 1-7 on the season, and they remain winless away from the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
Despite the loss, it occurred on a night when Eastern Michigan had a better shooting percentage than UT Rio Grande Valley. Eastern Michigan shot 39% (25-64) from the field, while UT Rio Grande Valley shot 35% (23-65).
Eastern Michigan was led by Sisi Eleko (Montreal, Quebec/New Hope Academy/Canisius) and Mackenzie Amalia (Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania/Blackhawk/Canisius), who scored 18 points each. Eleko also pulled down an astounding 17 rebounds for the Green and White, a season-high, as she pulled down 16 rebounds against Alabama A&M on November 9.
Other statistical highlights from the game include Brooklyn Thrash (Wayne, Ohio/Elmwood/Canisius) recording three steals and Elena Cabello (Malaga, Spain/IES Mediterraneo) notching two steals.
The game started with Eastern Michigan trailing 17-11 at the end of the first quarter. The Vaqueros ended the first quarter by going on a 9-4 run in the last five minutes, including leading by as many as eight (17-9) before Amalia made a buzzer-beater to end the quarter.
Eastern Michigan returned to the game in the second quarter, although it initially looked like UT Rio Grande Valley would build upon its first-quarter lead. After having a 23-15 lead with over six minutes to play, the Eagles closed the half on a 15-10 edge, bringing them back to within three points, 33-30, heading into the locker room.
It looked as if the Vaqueros would have a big lead after three the way things started in the third quarter, going on a 4-0 run and having a 37-30 cushion to start the quarter off. From there, Eastern Michigan crawled back and took the lead heading into the fourth quarter, 48-43. They closed the last eight minutes of the third quarter by going on an 18-6 run. The Eagles scored a combined 37 points over the second and third quarters in this contest.
In the fourth quarter, Eastern Michigan started to lose it after 90 seconds went off the clock, as they had a seven-point lead at one point. After leading 50-43 with 8:40 to play, things started to fall apart. Eastern Michigan did not make a field goal for seven consecutive minutes from around the 9:40 mark to the 2:40 to-play range.
The final regulation sequence was about as exciting as any moment in basketball. The game was tied at 57 from the 1:40 mark until a few seconds in the game. After Brooklyn Thrash made a layup to give the Eagles the lead, UT Rio Grande Valley took a timeout to discuss things. After that, Tierra Trotter made a layup with a second left for UT Rio Grande Valley. Eastern Michigan took a timeout with only one second left, but it was not enough to beat the Vaqueros in regulation.
Unfortunately for Eastern Michigan, the overtime period went the other way. UT Rio Grande Valley took a 65-59 lead and started overtime on a 6-0 run. From that point, a Mackenzie Amalia three brought the Eagles back to within three, the last time they saw the game go to one possession. Eastern Michigan lost the overtime period 14-7.
The Eagles played in their first overtime game since January 28, 2023, when they lost to Toledo at the George Gervin GameAbove Center by a score of 79-73. Their last overtime win was the week before the most recent game, January 21, 2023, when they won 66-61 against NIU.
Up Next, The Eagles will conclude the UTRGV Holiday Classic tonight, December 20, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m., and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.