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Posted: Jul 05, 2018

Eureka Announces 11-Player Women's Basketball Recruit Class

Eureka Announces 11-Player Women's Basketball Recruit Class

EUREKA, Ill. – Second-year Eureka College women's basketball head coach Amos Arbogast has put the final pieces together on his recruit class for the 2018-19 season. Arbogast will welcome 11 new student-athletes to the program, all of which will join the Red Devils as freshmen and have four years of eligibility 'Neath The Elms.

2018-19 Eureka College Women's Basketball Recruit Class

  • Madison Darrow, 5-1, G, Lowpoint, Ill., Lowpoint-Washburn H.S.
  • Olivia Falls, 5-5, G, Bloomington, Ill., Bloomington H.S.
  • Hannah Hamilton, 5-4, G, Saybrook, Ill., Ridegview H.S.
  • Megan Masching, 5-5, G, Pontiac, Ill., Pontiac H.S.
  • Josie Morgan, 5-2, G, Washington, Ill., Washington H.S.
  • Madison Murphy, 5-11, F, Marshall, Ill., Marshall H.S.
  • Marissa Murphy, 5-7, G, Canton, Ill., Canton H.S.
  • Taniyah Ramsey, 5-2, G, Decatur, Ill., Argenta-Oreana H.S.
  • Sierrah Seals, 5-6, G, East Peoria, Ill., Metamora H.S.
  • Abby Swope, 5-7, G, Canton, Ill., Canton H.S.
  • Paige Veronda, 5-8, G, Granville, Ill., Putnam County H.S.

2018-19 Eureka College Women's Basketball Roster

Darrow was a versatile four-sport student-athlete at Lowpoint-Washburn, competing in cross country, volleyball, basketball and track & field. She was named most valuable player of the Henry-Senachwine/Lowpoint-Washburn basketball co-op as a junior in 2016-17 and again as a senior last winter. The 5-1 guard averaged 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds for the Mallards and was named to the Tri-County All-Tournament Team in 2017. Darrow, who will also play volleyball at Eureka, was an All-Tri County Conference selection in volleyball, cross country and track & field.

Falls was a two-time All-Big Twelve Conference honoree at Bloomington. The 5-5 guard helped the Raiders to 54 victories during her four-year career, including a 17-win campaign as a junior in 2016-17 and the consolation championship of the State Farm Holiday Classic in the twin cities during the 2017-18 campaign.

Hamilton, a 5-4 guard, served as team captain at Ridgeview as a senior for head coach Scot Ghere last season. She was a four-year varsity letterwinner for the Mustangs and was selected as the program's top defensive player a year ago. The Saybrook, Ill. native helped Ridgeview develop into a power in the Heart of Illinois Conference, leading the Mustangs to back-to-back 20-win seasons and appearances in IHSA 1A regional championship games.

Masching was a two-sport standout at Pontiac, contributing to the Indians' golf team in addition to her time on the basketball court. Standing at 5-5, Masching led head coach Dan Gschwendtner's squad to 12 wins last winter. The Indians went 6-3 in league contests to finish fourth in the Illini Prairie Conference. Pontiac won an IHSA 3A regional contest before bowing out of the tournament to three-time defending state champion Morton in the semifinal.

Morgan was the spark plug in the backcourt at Washington for head coach Kim Holdenrid Barth, who played in 100 games as a four-year women's basketball letterwinner at Eureka from 2003 through 2007. A 5-2 guard, Morgan piloted the Panthers to a pair of IHSA 3A regional championships, including a title in 2017-18 as a senior after a fourth-place showing in the Mid-Illini Conference. Morgan's efforts were rewarded with a spot on the All-Mid-Illini Conference Second Team.

Madison Murphy is a 5-11 forward from Marshall, Ill. The 2018 Marshall High School graduate was the Lions' top rebounder last season, leading MHS to 21 wins and a third-place finish in the Little Illini Conference. The Lions went on to secure an IHSA regional championship and advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2A state tournament.

Marissa Murphy was a starter and a key contributor at Canton, helping the Little Giants to a second-place finish in the rugged Mid-Illini Conference and an appearance in an IHSA 3A regional title game last winter. The 5-7 guard was a part of a senior class for head coaches Layne Langhoff and Jessica Jones that won 79 varsity games for the Little Giants.

Ramsey played prep basketball as a guard at Argenta-Oreana. The 5-2 Decatur, Ill. native helped the Bombers to 11 wins as a senior last season, including a sparkling 4-1 mark in the Northwest Division of Little Okaw Valley Conference action that landed her squad in a second-place divisional finish. Ramsey's efforts helped engineer a major turnaround for the Bombers – the 11 wins during her senior season, which included a victory in an IHSA 2A regional, were an eight-win increase from the season before.

Seals was a standout at Metamora, regularly contributing as the Redbirds' top defender for head coach Brianna Morrow. A 5-6 guard, the East Peoria, Ill. native helped MTHS to 15 wins, a fifth-place Mid-Illini Conference showing and an IHSA 3A regional championship game appearance during her senior season in 2017-18.

Swope is a 5-7 guard and a classmate of fellow incoming freshman Marissa Murphy at Canton. Swope was a four-year varsity letterwinner for the Little Giants and ultimately served as a varsity captain. She earned a spot on the Fulton County All-Tournament Team, helping the Little Giants to a team title at the event. Her efforts alongside Murphy led Canton to a second-place finish in the Mid-Illini Conference last season. Swope also scored a game-high 18 points on her home floor in the 2018 Kiwanis Club all-star game. She plans to also player soccer at EC.

Veronda will join the Red Devils after a decorated career at Putnam County. A 5-8 guard and a native of Granville, Ill., she was voted to the 2A All-State Second Team by the Associated Press and the 1A/2A All-State Third Team by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. She was a four-time All-Tri-County Conference honoree and was picked for All-Area Teams by The Journal Star in Peoria and by The NewsTribune in La Salle, Ill. She finished her prep career ranked second on Putnam County's career scoring list and reached the 1,000-point plateau early in her senior campaign. She led the Panthers to an IHSA 1A regional title as a freshman in 2014-15. Veronda, who also earned All-State, All-Area and All-Conference accolades in softball, will also play softball at EC.

Eureka can return as many as nine letterwinners from last season's St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference runner-up that won 18 games and advanced to the league tournament semifinals for the seventh consecutive season.