Posted: Nov 20, 2017
Preview: Red Devils Back at the Reagan Tuesday For RMU-Peoria
EUREKA, Ill. -- The Eureka College men's basketball team will return home to Dave Darnall Court Tuesday night for an 8 p.m. non-conference tip-off against USCAA Robert Morris-Peoria. The Red Devils are looking to open their home schedule with back-to-back victories for the third consecutive season.
PDF Verson of Eureka Men's Basketball Game Notes
ABOUT EUREKA
The Red Devils have a 1-1 overall record after a 103-68 setback at Division I Central Michigan last Saturday. Eureka has continued its rapid scoring pace from a year ago, putting up 92.5 points per game through the season's first two games. The Red Devils are shooting 43 percent from the floor, are making 12.0 3-pointers per game and making their free throws at an 83-percent clip. Not only does Eureka score frequently, it takes care of the ball as well -- the Red Devils have committed only 13 turnovers through the season's first 80 minutes, including just eight turnovers against NCAA Division competition last Saturday.
Shea Feehan is the Red Devils' top scorer at 27.0 points per game and is 12-for-12 from the free throw line. Hank Thomas follows with 23.0 points per contest and is 10-for-15 from 3-point range. EC's top rebounder is Jordan Dehm with 6.0 boards on average in just 20.5 minutes per game.
The Red Devils are in their 40th season as a member of NCAA Division III and their 11th season as a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Eureka returns three starters, all juniors, from last season's 13-win team that broke the program's single-season record for team scoring with 90.5 points per game. In all, EC returns 18 letterwinners from last season.
FEEHAN HONORED BY SLIAC -- AND THE WATCH FOR 1,000
Shea Feehan is the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's pick for its first men's basketball Player of the Week award in 2017-18, the league office announced Monday. Feehan, who has now was the league's weekly award four times, averaged 27.0 points for the Red Devils in two non-conference games last week.
Feehan will enter Tuesday's game against Robert Morris-Peoria with 982 career points, 18 shy of becoming Eureka's 20th 1,000-point scorer of the Division III era. Feehan, whose career scoring average of 25.2 points per game is the highest in program history, will be playing his 40th collegiate game Tuesday against the Eagles.
Three Red Devils also reached 1,000 points prior to Eureka's entry into NCAA Division III -- Rich Schwab (1963-67) scored 1,604 points, Bob Strickland (1954-58) tallied 1,316 points and Hughley Blanton (1976-80) netted 1,241 points.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN SHOOTS DOWN RED DEVILS
Hank Thomas scored 21 points and Shea Feehan added a 20-point effort, but Division I Central Michigan knocked down 20 3-pointers on its way to a 103-68 victory over the Red Devils last Saturday afternoon at McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Thomas connected from 3 five times. Feehan was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line, leading the Red Devils' 12-for-12 performance from the foul line as a team. Jordan Dehm gathered a team-high six rebounds and Alex Wiegand blocked a pair of shots.
The Chippewas led 52-33 at halftime. CMU went 20-for-52 from beyond the arc. David DiLeo made eigh 3-pointer and logged a game-high 28 points.
ABOUT ROBERT MORRIS-PEORIA
Robert Morris-Peoria is winless this season, dropping its first four games by an average of 19.0 points per contest. The Eagles compete as a member of USCAA Division I and have played their last two games against NCAA Division II opponents -- Illinois Springfield and Missouri S&T.
RMU, opened the season with back-to-back losses to Lake Land (Ill.) and Andrews (Mich.), scores 69.3 points per contest and has shot 39 percent from the field. The Eagles have struggled from long range to the tune of 25 percent and haul down 33.5 rebounds per contest.
The Eagles went 5-13 overall last season and are seeking a victory over an NCAA Division III varsity opponent for the first time ever.
LAST TIME VERSUS RMU-PEORIA
The Red Devils and Robert Morris-Peoria have met only one time, a 101-85 Eureka victory at Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena on Nov. 22, 2016.
Shea Feehan scored 35 points thanks in part to a 21-for-22 effort at the free throw line.
The lead changed hands eight times throughout the second half before Eureka took the lead for good, 69-68, on two more free throws from Feehan with 10:19 left. Eureka added to its lead from that point forward.
In addition to his 35 points, Feehan collected 11 rebounds for the game's only double-double. Hank Thomas had 12 points and Alex Wiegand hauled down 10 rebounds.
Eureka held a 47-35 rebounding edge and outscored the visitors in the paint, 44-30. RMU used an 8-for-14 effort from the 3-point range in the first 20 minutes, but sputtered to a 3-for-13 line from long range after halftime.
MEET THE HEAD COACHES
The owner of more than two decades of coaching experience at the collegiate level, Chip Wilde will enter his 11th season as head coach at Eureka in 2017-18. The upcoming campaign marks Wilde's 20th season as a collegiate basketball head coach.
Wilde has proved to be one of the most successful head coaches in the storied history of Eureka men's basketball, establishing the Red Devils as a steady presence in the SLIAC both on the court and in the classroom. Wilde entered the 2017-18 campaign with 117 wins, fourth-most in the 99-year history of the program.
Bobby Ford is in his fourth season as head basketball coach at Robert Morris-Peoria.
A native of McClenny, Fla., Ford played collegiately at Bradley in Peoria. Ford averaged 9.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 1979-80, helping the Braves to the regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title with a 13-3 record, the MVC Tournament title and a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
FOLLOW THE ACTION ONLINE
Eureka will provide a live video broadcast and live statistics of Tuesday's game. Links to both services will be available at EurekaRedDevils.com and D3hoops.com.
