Red Devils Take Care of Franklin, 78-68
EUREKA – The Eureka women's basketball team came out on top in a 78-68 non-conference challenge against Franklin at Christine Bonati Arena on Wednesday afternoon.
The Red Devils held a decent lead for most of the game, but the Grizzlies hung around, keeping the home team focused down the stretch.
The win was Eureka's third of the season and the first since the maroon and gold handled Kalamazoo, 80-34, on Nov. 27.
Sydney Hannam (Canton, Ill./Canton/Spoon River) had a big day, tallying a team-high 21 points and recording the 1,000th point in her collegiate career. She made 9 of 9 free-throw attempts, snagged a team-high five steals and added three rebounds and two assists.
Hannam, a senior who transferred from Spoon River last year, is the third player to reach 1,000 points under coach Jaylynn Stewart, following four-year standout Olivia Falls and classmate and fellow senior transfer Shakaya Rogers (Hanover, Mich./Concord/Glen Oaks), both of whom reached the milestone last year.
Abby Stotler (Wyoming, Ill./Stark County) recorded 16 points and tied for team-high with eight rebounds.
Rogers and fellow senior and former MacMurray transfer Savanah Moore (Clinton, Ill./Mount Pulaski/MacMurray) each posted 14 points. The former had a nice line of 14 points, eight rebounds, a team-high six assists and two steals, while the latter brought down five boards and had two steals.
Madi Jernigan (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone/Blackburn), yet another senior transfer, racked up seven points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists.
Jurnee Flournoy (Decatur, Ill./Decatur MacArhur), a spring semester transfer, notched six points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal in her second game as a Red Devil.
Franklin's Lauryn Bates posted a team-high 15 points for the Grizzlies. Cici Bailey had a double-double with an even 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Sarah O'Day had 11 points.
The Red Devils moved the ball well, finishing with 16 assists to Franklin's 11 and committing 11 fewer turnovers than the visitors.
The team's largest lead was 16 in the midway through the third quarter. The Grizzlies recovered well and came within single digits in the fourth quarter. The Red Devils never let them get their hopes up too high, though, and put the game away by making 7 of their last 9 free throws.
On Saturday at 11 a.m., the Red Devils (3-7) will look to close out 2022 strong with a home showdown against non-conference foe Illinois College (3-8) at 11 a.m. inside The Reagan.