Red Devils Open SLIAC Play with Win at Blackburn

CARLINVILLE, Ill. – The Eureka men's basketball team led the entire game, defeating Blackburn 92-74 in their SLIAC opener.

The Red Devils started strong, with Emaryon Byrd (Peoria, Ill./Manual) knocking down back-to-back three-pointers. Byrd's long-range efforts sparked a 10-0 Eureka scoring run, giving them a double-digit lead just over two minutes into the game. After a timeout by Blackburn, the Beavers were able to settle in and eventually narrow the lead to just two points with six minutes remaining in the first half. The Red Devils then heated up from behind the arc, getting three-pointers from Sam DeJesus (Delavan, Ill./Delavan), Ben Carter (Morton, Ill./Morton), and Dylan Logsdon (Meridian, Idaho/Mountain View) as part of an 11-0 scoring run that pushed their lead to 43-30. By halftime, Eureka had extended its advantage to 16 points.

In the second half, the Beavers came out strong, mounting an 11-2 scoring run to cut the Red Devils' lead to just seven points. Blackburn narrowed the lead to as little as six points with over 14 minutes left to play, but that's when Eureka began to pull away. The Red Devils launched a 16-2 scoring run over the next four minutes, with Peewee Brown (Peoria, Ill./Manual), Jacob Gonzalez (Los Angeles, Calif./Chatsworth Charter), and Emaryon Byrd combining for14 points during the stretch. The Beavers kept fighting but were never able to get within striking distance as Eureka held on for a 92-74 victory.

GAME NOTES

• Emaryon Byrd finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds, recording his third double-double of the season and his third consecutive game with 20 or more points.
• Jacob Gonzalez contributed 15 points off the bench, ranking second in scoring for the Red Devils.
• Amariyae Wilson (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute South) led the team in both assists (5) and steals (3).

UP NEXT
The Red Devils (2-3, 1-0) will be on the road for a nonconference game against Rockford (2-1) on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 3:15 p.m.