Eureka Overpowers Principia with Strong Second Half

ELSAH, Ill. – The Eureka men's basketball team secured a hard-fought 77-67 victory over Principia on Saturday at Hay Field House, avenging an early-season loss with a commanding second half performance.

The Red Devils started strong, with Emaryon Byrd (Peoria, Ill./Manual) putting Eureka on the board early with a layup. Byrd remained active throughout the half, finishing with nine points, including a 3-pointer at the 15:59 mark. The game remained tightly contested, with Peewee Brown (Peoria, Ill./Manual) making key contributions on the boards and at the free-throw line. Despite a late basket by Jaxson Provost (Kankakee, Ill./Bishop McNamara), Eureka entered halftime trailing 30-28.

The second half was a back-and-forth battle, featuring seven lead changes. Byrd set the tone once again, opening the half with a layup, while Jonah Lauff (Pana, Ill./Pana) added a steal and 3-pointer to swing the momentum in Eureka's favor. Max Richardson (LaHarpe, Ill./Illini West) knocked down two crucial free throws at 15:42 to give Eureka the lead, and Micah Bruer (Washington, Ill./Washington) responded to a Principia basket with a 3-pointer to put the Red Devils back on top. Raymond Bandzoumouna Jr. (Lisle, Ill./Lisle) played a pivotal role down the stretch, knocking down a layup and a 3-pointer while securing a career-high 11 rebounds. Brown capped off the dominant second-half performance with back-to-back fast-break layups, sealing a 49-37 advantage in the final period and securing the victory.

GAME NOTES

• Eureka now sits three games ahead of Blackburn for the final spot in the SLIAC tournament and is tied with Fontbonne for the No. 5 seed.
• Emaryon Byrd led Eureka with 19 points, shooting 8-for-14 from the field, while adding seven rebounds.
• Micah Bruer contributed 13 points, hitting five of eight shots, including three 3-pointers.
• Jaxson Provost provided 14 points, connecting on four of five attempts from beyond the arc.
• Raymond Bandzoumouna Jr. recorded a career-high 11 rebounds to go along with seven points and two assists.
• Peewee Brown scored 13 points, shooting 5-for-11 from the field while grabbing six rebounds.

UP NEXT

The Red Devils return home to face Spalding on Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. Spalding currently leads the SLIAC and handed Eureka an 81-63 loss earlier this season.