Eureka Defeats Westminster in Regular Season Finale, Extends Win Streak to Three

FULTON, Mo. – The Eureka men's basketball team closed out the regular season with a hard-fought 75-68 road victory over Westminster on Saturday, extending their winning streak to three games.

Westminster came out strong, opening the game with a 9-0 run fueled by back-to-back 3-pointers from Luke Abeln. The Red Devils responded quickly, as Peewee Brown (Peoria, Ill./Manual) and Jaxson Provost (Kankakee, Ill./Bishop McNamara) each knocked down 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 14-12 by the 15:24 mark. Westminster pushed their lead back to seven, but Eureka stormed back with a crucial 14-0 run, shifting the momentum in their favor. Ben Carter (Morton, Ill./Morton) and Emaryon Byrd (Peoria, Ill./Manual) led the charge offensively, giving the Red Devils a 43-36 lead at halftime.

The second half remained tightly contested, with both teams scoring 32 points. Westminster's Lee Verslues opened the half with a layup, but Byrd quickly responded with a steal and a trip to the free-throw line to keep Eureka in control. Carter, who recorded a season-high 21 points, drilled a deep 3-pointer at 14:02 and later added a layup at 5:44 to maintain the Red Devils' lead. Westminster made a late push, trimming the deficit to just three points with 27 seconds remaining, but Eureka held their ground. Brown calmly sank two free throws with 15 seconds left to extend the lead to 73-68, and Provost iced the game with two more from the line with six seconds remaining, securing the 75-68 win.

GAME NOTES

• Ben Carter led Eureka with 21 points, knocking down five 3-pointers and adding two steals.
• Emaryon Byrd delivered a strong performance with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting while grabbing nine rebounds.
• Peewee Brown went 7-of-8 from the free-throw line and finished with 12 points and two steals.
• Dylan Logsdon (Meridian, Idaho/Mountain View) contributed 10 rebounds and two steals, providing a key defensive presence.

UP NEXT

With the victory, Eureka enters the SLIAC tournament as the No. 5 seed and will host No. 4 seed MUW in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. The teams split their regular season matchups, with Eureka winning in double overtime at home and falling in overtime on the road. The winner will advance to the semifinals on Friday hosted by No. 1 seed Greenville.