Red Devils Return Home Saturday to Host Principia
EUREKA, Ill. -- The Eureka College men's basketball team will begin the home portion of its 18-game St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schedule Saturday afternoon when the Principia Panthers visit Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena for a 3 p.m. tip-off.
PDF Version of Eureka Game Notes
ABOUT EUREKA
Eureka is 6-1 overall and 1-1 in the SLIAC. Saturday's contest marks EC's first game competition since an 87-84 win at Spalding on Dec. 3, a game in which the Red Devils trailed by 14 points in the second half.
Overall, Eureka leads the 10-team SLIAC in multiple statistical categories, including 3-point field goal percentage (.406), defensive rebounds per game (31.4) and field goal percentage defense (.418). The Red Devils' team scoring average of 91.1 points per game ranks second in the league and 12th in Division III, as the Red Devils have scored 84 points or more in all seven of their early-season contests.
League coaches picked Eureka to finish eighth during a poll conducted before the start of the season.
The Red Devils return two full-time starters and 10 letterwinners overall from last season's team that went 12-13 overall and 10-8 in the SLIAC to tie for third place in the final league standings. Sixteen newcomers have joined the program, including nine first-year freshmen, to give EC a roster size of 26 student-athletes.
RED DEVILS AMONG THE NATIONAL LEADERS
Eureka's offensive duo of junior Kendall Davis and Shea Feehan has paved the way for the Red Devils' 6-1 start.
Davis and Feehan both rank among the national Division III leaders in a variety of scoring categories. Feehan's scoring average of 31.0 ranks second nationally, while Davis's average of 25.0 ranks 12th.
Their combined scoring average of 56.0 points per game ranks second among teammates in Division III behind Grinnell's duo of Julian Marx and Vinny Curta (57.4).
Additionally, Feehan's 68 free throws made lead Division III, while Davis's 69 total field goals made rank eighth. Feehan also appears nationally in the individual top-25 in 3-pointers made and free throw percentage.
STARTING STRONG
Eureka's 6-1 start is its best record through seven games since the 1993-94 Red Devils opened 6-1 on their way to the NAIA Division II national title.
In 39 seasons as a member of NCAA Division III, the Red Devils have began the season 6-1 or better eight times.
EC went on to finish the season with at least 17 wins in each of the first seven instances, including six seasons of 20 wins or more and a school-record 27 victories in 1993-94.
ABOUT PRINCIPIA
Principia is 3-4 overall this season and 2-1 against SLIAC opponents. The Panthers defeated CCIW opponent Millikin in non-conference action before claiming league victories over Spalding (Nov. 29) and Iowa Wesleyan (Dec. 6). Losses have come at the hands of Missouri S&T (Nov. 15), Carroll (Nov. 18), St. Scholastica (Nov. 19) and Webster (Dec. 3).
Senior guard Adaku Anumu scores 20.9 points per game to lead the Panthers. Micah Paulson (15.0 PPG) and Parker Davidson (12.7) also reach double figures on average. PC scores just 71.4 points per game, seventh-most in the SLIAC.
The Panthers were chosen to finish ninth in the SLIAC this season, according to a preseason poll conducted by league head coaches. PC went 5-18 overall last season and 2-16 in SLIAC action to finish last in the 10-team league.
One of the smallest colleges in Division III, Principia College has an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 460 students. The college is located in the rural village of Elsah, Ill., approximately 35 miles north of St. Louis along the Mississippi River. Principia is a charter member of the SLIAC. The Panthers have qualified for the SLIAC Tournament 10 times since 1991, but have never won a regular-season or tournament title. Their lone SLIAC Tournament victory was a 1994 quarterfinal win over Westminster.
ABOUT THE HEAD COACHES
Chip Wilde is in his 10th season directing the Red Devils. The Macomb, Ill. native has 110 wins at EC, fourth-most in program history.
In all, Wilde has coached two SLIAC Players of the Year, 15 All-SLIAC selections, five SLIAC All-Tournament Team selections, four SLIAC All-Defensive Team picks and 29 SLIAC Player of the Week choices.
Todd Zimmerman is in his first season directing the Panthers after serving as an assistant coach a year ago. Zimmerman also assisted the PC women's basketball program from 2011 until 2014.
A four-year letterwinner in men's basketball at Principia (2007-11), Zimmerman is the Panthers' all-time leader in points (1,556) and assists (431).
SERIES VERSUS PRINCIPIA
Eureka has had control of the series with the Panthers for more than four decades, owning a 39-6 mark against PC since 1974, including an active five-game win streak. The Red Devils are 19-1 in the last 20 matchups with Principia in Eureka.
Eureka head coach Chip Wilde owns a 15-3 record against Principia. His 15 wins are tied for the most against any opponent since his start at Eureka in 2007.
Principia's only victory over the Red Devils in Eureka since 1974 was a 90-87 victory on Nov. 30, 2010, a game in which current PC head coach Todd Zimmerman scored 38 points.
LAST TIME VERSUS PRINCIPIA
Eureka guard Tommy Goulding erupted for 27 points, pacing the Red Devils to a 101-80 SLIAC victory over the Panthers on Jan. 23, 2016 in Elsah, Ill.
Eureka never trailed in the contest, scoring the first five points of the contest and cruising to a 51-27 halftime lead. Goulding shot 10-of-17 (.588) from the field, including 6-of-13 (.462) from the three-point line. Sam Feehan added 18 points and six assists.
PC's Amunu Adaku scored a game-high 34 points. Parker Davidson added a double-double, tallying 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds for the hosts.
DAVIS, RED DEVILS RALLY PAST SPALDING
Eureka junior guard Kendall Davis hit a go-ahead jumper with 10 seconds remaining, his ninth field goal of the second half, to help the Red Devils erase a 14-point second-half deficit and defeat Spalding, 87-84, Saturday afternoon in Louisville, Ky.
Davis scored 10 consecutive points for the Red Devils in the final 68 seconds, including the game-winning basket.
Eureka trailed 82-73 with just 1:15 remaining before closing the contest on a 14-2 run. Davis started the rally with a 3-pointer at the 1:08 mark. After a foul and two missed SU free throws, Davis connected again from beyond the arc to slash the EC deficit to 82-79 with 45 seconds left.
Spalding's Keith Wallace split two foul shots on the ensuing trip, allowing Eureka to claw closer (83-81) on two free throws from Davis with 29 seconds left. Another EC foul gave two free throws to SU's James Turner, who split the foul shots and left Eureka within a single possession. Davis took advantage, scoring again for an 84-83 deficit with 17 seconds left.
Turner missed two more free throws after being fouled with 16 seconds left, allowing Davis to give the Red Devils an 85-84 lead on his basket with 10 seconds to play. The hosts turned the ball over on their next possession, allowing EC to get two more free throws from sophomore Hank Thomas with less than a second remaining. Spalding's desperation heave to tie the game was off the mark, giving the Red Devils an 87-84 win.
Davis scored 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting and a 4-for-5 performance from 3-point range. Shea Feehan poured in 27 points and hauled down seven rebounds. Thomas logged five assists.
