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Posted: Jan 20, 2017

First-Place Red Devils Return Home to Host Blackburn

Photo Courtesy of Michael Hammerstrand
Photo Courtesy of Michael Hammerstrand
Video Recap Box Score
Game Leaders
Blackburn
Pts: 2 Players (#10, #11) - 7
Reb: 2 Players (#33, #TM) - 6
Ast: Brooke Meyer - 2
Eureka
Pts: Hayley Reneau - 19
Reb: Abigail Hilton - 10
Ast: Kerrigan Dura - 10
Team Stats
Full stats

PDF Version of Eureka Game Notes

EUREKA, Ill. -- Following an unbeaten road trip that covered three games over 12 days and an average margin of victory of 24.3 points, the Eureka College women's basketball team will return to Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena for a 5 p.m. start against St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival Blackburn. The start time of Saturday's game was pushed back four hours due to a community event hosted by Eureka College.

ABOUT EUREKA

Off to its best league start in 21 seasons at the NCAA Division III level, Eureka will bring an 11-5 overall mark and a 7-0 SLIAC record into Saturday's game. The Red Devils have won seven straight conference games for the first time in nearly five years.

Additionally, Eureka has won five straight contests overall and eight of its last 10 outings overall. The 8-2 stretch since Nov. 30 marks the Red Devils' best 10-game stretch since putting up a similar 8-2 mark from Jan. 16 through Feb. 17 of last season.

Junior guard Hayley Reneau leads the Red Devils and ranks second in the SLIAC with 13.6 points per game. The Washington, Ill. native shoots 44 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range. At the defensive end, her 20 blocked shots lead the league and her 44 steals rank second. She joins Greenville's Laura Goodnight and Westminster's Andrea Zalis as the only players in the conference to rank among the top-5 in scoring, blocked shots and steals.

Additionally, senior forward Michaela Balducci and junior guard Kerrigan Dura provide double-digit scoring production. Balducci averages 11.2 points and a team-best 7.4 rebounds per game. Dura pours in 10.8 points per game and ranks 28th nationally with 76 total assists. With at least nine games remaining this season, Dura needs just 30 more assists to crack Eureka's single-season top-10 list. Dura's current pace would give her 120 assists at the end of a 25-game regular season, fifth-most by a Red Devil in the history of the program. Debbie Kessinger set the school record with 148 assists in 1990-91.

Additionally, Eureka's current team average of 18.6 assists per game ranks fourth nationally. The 25-game pace of 465 team assists is just shy of the single-season program record of 470 set during the 2004-05 season.

Eureka was picked to finish sixth in the SLIAC, according to a coaches' poll released before the start of the season.

RED DEVILS GET TO 7-0, DUMP IOWA WESLEYAN

Behind another dominant second half, Eureka won its seventh straight SLIAC contest in a 64-49 victory over Iowa Wesleyan, Wednesday night in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Kerrigan Dura put up a career-high 21 points to lead the Red Devils.

The third quarter belonged to the Red Devils. A steal and a basket from Hayley Reneau just 34 seconds into the period triggered a run of 14 unanswered points for EC, culminating with a 40-27 cushion after Michaela Balducci pushed down two foul shots with 2:51 remaining in the third quarter. The Tigers didn't score in the quarter until Cairece Allen's 3-point play at the 2:36 mark. Eureka outscored Iowa Wesleyan 21-5 in the frame.

Eureka maintained its double-digit lead for the remainder of the evening, leading by as many as 20 after Luci Weis hit a 3-pointer for a 61-41 advantage with 5:21 left.

Dura scored 21 points on a 7-for-13 effort from the field. She made five 3-point field goals, also a career best. Reneau added 17 points and Balducci netted 10. The victory, Eureka's first in Mount Pleasant since the 1991-92 season, snapped a five-game losing streak in the all-time series with the Tigers.

SEVEN IN A ROW

Wednesday's win improved the Red Devils to 7-0 in the SLIAC and increased their first-place lead in the standings to three full games in the loss column.

The seven-game start remains Eureka's best in 21 seasons as a member of an NCAA Division III-affiliated conference. Additionally, Eureka has won seven straight league contests for the first time since ripping off 10 straight SLIAC wins from Jan. 10 through Feb. 11 of the 2011-12 season.

ABOUT BLACKBURN

Blackburn is winless this season, owning an 0-14 record and an 0-7 SLIAC record. The Beavers have dropped 27 straight games since a 63-54 win at Principia on Jan. 5, 2016.

Aleisha Stiltner, a junior guard from Lexington, Ky., paces the Blackburn offense with 7.2 points per game. She is BC's top free throw shooter with a 79 percent season mark. Maria Cline adds 6.9 points per game and Candace Pollock averages 6.4.

Sophomore Angela Andrews pulls down 4.8 rebounds per game. Blackburn has used 14 different players this season, all of which have started at least one game.

The Beavers have struggled in most statistical categories, ranking last in the nine-team SLIAC in points per game (47.1), field goal percentage (.300) and scoring defense (81.5) among others. Despite the woes, BC collects crashes the glass for 15.1 offensive rebounds per game, second-most in the league.

Blackburn has won three regular-season SLIAC championships, including the league's inaugural crown in 1990-91. BC has 211 SLIAC wins between the regular season and tournament, third-most all-time behind Fontbonne and Westminster. Blackburn is a charter member of the SLIAC.

The Beavers also won six of the first seven SLIAC Tournament championships between 1991 and 1997. In all, BC has a 17-6 record in 12 SLIAC postseason appearances, but has not appeared in the tournament semifinals since making three straight trips from 2008 through 2010.

ABOUT THE HEAD COACHES

Steve Thompson is in his third season as head coach of the Red Devils.

Since taking the reins of the program in 2014, Thompson has built on the Red Devils' sustained success and guided EC to the SLIAC Tournament in each of his first two seasons, including a title game appearance in 2015.

In addition to his role with the Eureka women's basketball program, Thompson has served EC as Director of Athletics since Jan. 2, 2014. Thompson has more than a decade of administrative experience in collegiate athletics, including five years at NCAA Division III Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and two years at NCAA Division I Kent State.

The current season is Katie Fonseca's second as head coach of the Beavers. The Tucson, Ariz. native has a 2-37 mark since his arrival in Carlinville. She owns previous coaching experience at Iowa Lakes, Tonopah Valley High School in Phoenix, Ariz. and Copper Canyon High School in Glendale, Ariz.

Fonseca is a 2005 graduate of Hendrix (Ark.), where she was a four-year basketball letterwinner and a two-year member of the softball team. Fonseca received all-academic honors from the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference four times.

SERIES VERSUS BLACKBURN

The Red Devils are 42-14 in their last 56 meetings with Blackburn since 1983 and have won 11 in a row in the series since Jan. 18, 2012. Eureka head coach Steve Thompson owns five wins over the Beavers, equaling his highest win total against any opponent.

Eureka's current 11-game win streak comes on the heels of a four-year stretch in which BC won eight of nine against the Red Devils. Blackburn hasn't beaten Eureka at the Reagan Athletic Complex since a 71-66 overtime decision on Feb. 16, 2011.

LAST TIME VERSUS BLACKBURN

Michaela Balducci scored 18 points and Luci Weis added 16, lifting the Red Devils to an 81-39 SLIAC victory at Blackburn on Nov. 30 in Carlinville, Ill.

The game between the Red Devils and Beavers was the SLIAC opener for both teams. Eureka opened the conference slate 1-0 for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.

The decision was never in doubt. Eureka led 20-5 after the first quarter and 45-20 at halftime.

Eureka's 42-point margin of victory was its largest SLIAC win since joining the league prior to the 2006-07 season and biggest win overall since an 86-44 triumph over Illinois Tech on Nov. 22, 2014. The 39 points allowed marked Eureka's best defensive effort since defeating Principia 78-39 on Jan. 18, 2014.

FOLLOW THE ACTION ONLINE

Eureka will provide a live video broadcast via its YouTube channel. It is the first time Eureka has streamed a game live via YouTube. Live statistics will also be available at EurekaRedDevils.com.

The Eureka College media relations staff will provide updates throughout the game via Twitter at @EurekaGameDay.

ABOUT EUREKA
Off to its best league start in 21 seasons at the NCAA Division III level, Eureka will bring an 11-5 overall mark and a 7-0 SLIAC record into Saturday's game. The Red Devils have won seven straight conference games for the first time in nearly five years.
Additionally, Eureka has won five straight contests overall and eight of its last 10 outings overall. The 8-2 stretch since Nov. 30 marks the Red Devils' best 10-game stretch since putting up a similar 8-2 mark from Jan. 16 through Feb. 17 of last season.
Junior guard Hayley Reneau leads the Red Devils and ranks second in the SLIAC with 13.6 points per game. The Washington, Ill. native shoots 44 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range. At the defensive end, her 20 blocked shots lead the league and her 44 steals rank second. She joins Greenville's Laura Goodnight and Westminster's Andrea Zalis as the only players in the conference to rank among the top-5 in scoring, blocked shots and steals.
Additionally, senior forward Michaela Balducci and junior guard Kerrigan Dura provide double-digit scoring production. Balducci averages 11.2 points and a team-best 7.4 rebounds per game. Dura pours in 10.8 points per game and ranks 28th nationally with 76 total assists. With at least nine games remaining this season, Dura needs just 30 more assists to crack Eureka's single-season top-10 list. Dura's current pace would give her 120 assists at the end of a 25-game regular season, fifth-most by a Red Devil in the history of the program. Debbie Kessinger set the school record with 148 assists in 1990-91.
Additionally, Eureka's current team average of 18.6 assists per game ranks fourth nationally. The 25-game pace of 465 team assists is just shy of the single-season program record of 470 set during the 2004-05 season.
Eureka was picked to finish sixth in the SLIAC, according to a coaches' poll released before the start of the season.
RED DEVILS GET TO 7-0, DUMP IOWA WESLEYAN
Behind another dominant second half, Eureka won its seventh straight SLIAC contest in a 64-49 victory over Iowa Wesleyan, Wednesday night in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Kerrigan Dura put up a career-high 21 points to lead the Red Devils.
The third quarter belonged to the Red Devils. A steal and a basket from Hayley Reneau just 34 seconds into the period triggered a run of 14 unanswered points for EC, culminating with a 40-27 cushion after Michaela Balducci pushed down two foul shots with 2:51 remaining in the third quarter. The Tigers didn't score in the quarter until Cairece Allen's 3-point play at the 2:36 mark. Eureka outscored Iowa Wesleyan 21-5 in the frame.
Eureka maintained its double-digit lead for the remainder of the evening, leading by as many as 20 after Luci Weis hit a 3-pointer for a 61-41 advantage with 5:21 left.
Dura scored 21 points on a 7-for-13 effort from the field. She made five 3-point field goals, also a career best. Reneau added 17 points and Balducci netted 10. The victory, Eureka's first in Mount Pleasant since the 1991-92 season, snapped a five-game losing streak in the all-time series with the Tigers.
SEVEN IN A ROW
Wednesday's win improved the Red Devils to 7-0 in the SLIAC and increased their first-place lead in the standings to three full games in the loss column. 
The seven-game start remains Eureka's best in 21 seasons as a member of an NCAA Division III-affiliated conference. Additionally, Eureka has won seven straight league contests for the first time since ripping off 10 straight SLIAC wins from Jan. 10 through Feb. 11 of the 2011-12 season.
ABOUT BLACKBURN
Blackburn is winless this season, owning an 0-14 record and an 0-7 SLIAC record. The Beavers have dropped 27 straight games since a 63-54 win at Principia on Jan. 5, 2016.
Aleisha Stiltner, a junior guard from Lexington, Ky., paces the Blackburn offense with 7.2 points per game. She is BC's top free throw shooter with a 79 percent season mark. Maria Cline adds 6.9 points per game and Candace Pollock averages 6.4.
Sophomore Angela Andrews pulls down 4.8 rebounds per game. Blackburn has used 14 different players this season, all of which have started at least one game.
The Beavers have struggled in most statistical categories, ranking last in the nine-team SLIAC in points per game (47.1), field goal percentage (.300) and scoring defense (81.5) among others. Despite the woes, BC collects crashes the glass for 15.1 offensive rebounds per game, second-most in the league.
Blackburn has won three regular-season SLIAC championships, including the league's inaugural crown in 1990-91. BC has 211 SLIAC wins between the regular season and tournament, third-most all-time behind Fontbonne and Westminster. Blackburn is a charter member of the SLIAC.
The Beavers also won six of the first seven SLIAC Tournament championships between 1991 and 1997. In all, BC has a 17-6 record in 12 SLIAC postseason appearances, but has not appeared in the tournament semifinals since making three straight trips from 2008 through 2010.
ABOUT THE HEAD COACHES
Steve Thompson is in his third season as head coach of the Red Devils.
Since taking the reins of the program in 2014, Thompson has built on the Red Devils' sustained success and guided EC to the SLIAC Tournament in each of his first two seasons, including a title game appearance in 2015. 
In addition to his role with the Eureka women's basketball program, Thompson has served EC as Director of Athletics since Jan. 2, 2014. Thompson has more than a decade of administrative experience in collegiate athletics, including five years at NCAA Division III Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and two years at NCAA Division I Kent State.
The current season is Katie Fonseca's second as head coach of the Beavers. The Tucson, Ariz. native has a 2-37 mark since his arrival in Carlinville. She owns previous coaching experience at Iowa Lakes, Tonopah Valley High School in Phoenix, Ariz. and Copper Canyon High School in Glendale, Ariz.
Fonseca is a 2005 graduate of Hendrix (Ark.), where she was a four-year basketball letterwinner and a two-year member of the softball team. Fonseca received all-academic honors from the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference four times.
SERIES VERSUS BLACKBURN
The Red Devils are 42-14 in their last 56 meetings with Blackburn since 1983 and have won 11 in a row in the series since Jan. 18, 2012. Eureka head coach Steve Thompson owns five wins over the Beavers, equaling his highest win total against any opponent.
Eureka's current 11-game win streak comes on the heels of a four-year stretch in which BC won eight of nine against the Red Devils. Blackburn hasn't beaten Eureka at the Reagan Athletic Complex since a 71-66 overtime decision on Feb. 16, 2011.
LAST TIME VERSUS BLACKBURN
Michaela Balducci scored 18 points and Luci Weis added 16, lifting the Red Devils to an 81-39 SLIAC victory at Blackburn on Nov. 30 in Carlinville, Ill.
The game between the Red Devils and Beavers was the SLIAC opener for both teams. Eureka opened the conference slate 1-0 for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.
The decision was never in doubt. Eureka led 20-5 after the first quarter and 45-20 at halftime.
Eureka's 42-point margin of victory was its largest SLIAC win since joining the league prior to the 2006-07 season and biggest win overall since an 86-44 triumph over Illinois Tech on Nov. 22, 2014. The 39 points allowed marked Eureka's best defensive effort since defeating Principia 78-39 on Jan. 18, 2014.
FOLLOW THE ACTION ONLINE
Eureka will provide a live video broadcast via its YouTube channel. It is the first time Eureka has streamed a game live via YouTube. Live statistics will also be available at EurekaRedDevils.com.
The Eureka College media relations staff will provide updates throughout the game via Twitter at @EurekaGameDay.