Eureka Pulls Away for Win Against MUW, 74-69

EUREKA, IL. - The Eureka women's basketball pulled away late in the second half to pick up a valuable in-conference win against MUW at home on Saturday afternoon.

The Eureka women jumped out to an early lead, opening the game by scoring 10 unanswered points. The remainder of the first and second quarters was fairly even, and the two teams would head into halftime with the Red Devils leading by a score of 37-25.

The Owls closed the gap throughout the third quarter and continued chipping away at Eureka's lead in the final period of play. It was a pair of three-pointers from MUW's Darby Pitts that pulled the game back to even, at 65-65, with just under three minutes remaining. A 3-point play from Ashley Wilcox put the Red Devils back on top moments later, as Wilcox got fouled on her way up and tacked on another point from the free-throw line. The Red Devils finished the game strong, converting 4 more free throws and a layup. 

Ashley Wilcox (Hudson, Ill./Normal West) shined for the Red Devils, notching 23 points, going 8-for-13 from the field and 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. Wilcox also led the team in assists, dishing it to her teammates for made baskets on 5 occasions.   

Brin Hultz (Quincy, Ill./Quincy) went 7-for-16 from the field and 3-for-6 from three to tally 18 points toward EC's scoring efforts. Josie Ness (Sandwich, Ill./Sandwich) dominated on the glass, recording 14 points and a remarkable 15 rebounds. Makayla Rosenbery (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour) added another 11 points and 3 blocks for Eureka. 4 of Rosenbery's points came from the charity stripe, including a pair of critical free throws in the final moments of the game.

MUW had four players finish in double-digits. Claire Leak put on an impressive performance, recording a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds. She led the team in both categories. Conley Langford and Leileigh Moody each notched 12 points for the W, and Darby Pitts chipped in 11.

Eureka (5-16, 3-11 SLIAC) will next be on the road on Wednesday this week. They are set to tip off against the Fontbonne Griffins (4-17, 4-10 SLIAC) in St. Louis at 5:30 PM CST. Fontbonne currently sits just one spot ahead of Eureka in the SLIAC standings. With a win on Wednesday, the Red Devils could leapfrog the Griffins and move into eighth place in the conference.