Eureka Pulls Away From Fontbonne, 98-78

EUREKA, Ill. – Behind 32 points from Kendall Davis (Peoria, Ill./Limestone H.S./Illinois Central), 25 points from Shea Feehan (Peoria, Ill./Notre Dame H.S.) and a career-high 13 points off the bench from Jake Wood (Centralia, Ill./Centralia H.S./Lincoln), the Eureka College men's basketball team won its seventh straight home game in a 98-78 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over Fontbonne, Wednesday night at Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena.

Fontbonne led by as many as four points in the first 10 minutes of the Wednesday's bout before the Red Devils responded with a flurry. Feehan's layup with 10:22 left before halftime triggered a 17-2 blitz from the hosts that ended when senior forward Parker Gibson (Pontiac, Ill./Pontiac H.S./St. John's Northwest Military Academcy) scored inside for a 30-19 lead at the 6:24 mark of the half.

The Griffins pulled back within 39-35 in the waning moments of the period before back-to-back baskets from Davis allowed the hosts to carry a 43-36 lead into the locker room.

Jeff Smith scored on Fontbonne's first trip after halftime to trail 43-38, but EC answered with an 11-2 burst for a 54-40 lead after three Feehan free throws. The Red Devils would go on to maintain the double-digit advantage for the remainder of the night. The final 20-point margin matched the hosts' biggest lead of the game.

Davis went 13-for-18 from the field to lead all scorers with 32 points. Feehan netted his 25 points on just eight field goal attempts thanks to a 16-for-17 effort from the free throw line. Wood needed only 12 minutes of action to get his career-high 13 points. Junior guard Ryan McElmurry (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg H.S./Black Hawk) distributed a career-high seven assists and sophomore forward Alex Wiegand (Washington, Ill./Washington H.S.) collected a game-high eight rebounds.

EC shot 53 percent from the field Wednesday, the third time this season the Red Devils have shot 50 percent or better. Thirteen Red Devils saw the floor in the victory.

Jeff Smith paced the Griffins, who received 52 of their 78 points from bench players. Fontbonne has lost eight consecutive games.

Eureka will return to the road Saturday for a 3 p.m. tip-off at MacMurray in Jacksonville, Ill.