Photo courtesy of Blake Baxter.
Photo courtesy of Blake Baxter.

Eureka Tops MacMurray, Earns Third Straight Home Win, 75-61

EUREKA — Dave Darnall Court has been kind to Ashley Harfst (Saunemin, Ill./Pontiac) and the Eureka College women lately.

On Sunday evening, the Red Devils seized their third consecutive home win, besting MacMurray 75-61 in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action at Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena. Harst, a junior guard, posted a double-double for EC, putting up 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting and pulling down 10 rebounds. 

Eureka freshman Josie Morgan (Washington, Ill./Washington) followed with 13 points, while senior Ja'Keesha Hawkins (Peoria, Ill./Peoria) tallied 11 off the bench. Both knocked down a trio of 3-pointers for the Red Devils, who shot 46.6 percent from the field to MacMurray's 39.7. The Red Devils also outrebounded the Highlanders 41-31. 

MacMurray freshman Chassidy Hays finished with a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds, and Kaylie Stowe added 16. 

With the win, the Red Devils improved to 6-8 on the season and 2-5 in the SLIAC. The Highlanders fell to 1-15 and 0-7.

MacMurray stayed with the hosts for the first quarter, never trailing by more than five and knotting it up at 21-21 before the end of the frame. But Eureka took over with a 9-0 run midway through the second quarter that ballooned to a 20-3 run after a MacMurray timeout to regroup.

It didn't work; by halftime, the Red Devils held a commanding 17-point lead.

An 8-2 start to the third quarter put the Highlanders within 10, but Harfst answered with a triple with 5:30 left to stretch the lead to 13. That ended up being the difference going into the final frame.    

Less than three minutes in, Harfst and Morgan knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to extend the lead to 19 — the team's largest of the day. 

Eureka's win was its 17th straight over the Highlanders. The Red Devils now have a 45-5 advantage in the all-time series.