Red Devils Hold Steady, Put Away Dubuque, 61-54
EUREKA – Sydney Hannam (Canton, Ill./Canton H.S./Spoon River) knocked down five 3-pointers en route to a team-high 18 points, including a game-sealing triple from the corner in the final minute that lifted Eureka to a 61-54 non-conference victory over Dubuque, Friday night at the Reagan Athletic Complex.
Hannam was 5-for-7 beyond the arc, tacking on six rebounds and a pair of steals in 29 minutes off the bench. Shakaya Rogers (Hanover, Mich./Concord H.S./Glen Oaks) was also solid in a reserve role with 11 points and Savanah Moore (Clinton, Ill./Mount Pulaski H.S./MacMurray) chipped in 10 points.
Eureka trailed for much of the first quarter but snagged its first lead of the night in the closing moments of the period when Moore's jumper gave the hosts a 14-13 lead.
The Spartans opened the second quarter with seven unanswered points, but EC punched back and ultimately overcame UD on Moore's 3-pointer for a 26-24 cushion at the 2:59 mark before halftime. Another Moore trey just two possessions later gave the Red Devils the lead for good, sparking a 21-8 run to end the half and a 35-28 halftime advantage.
The Eureka advantage swelled to double digits for the first time (43-33) on Hannam's 3-pointer midway through the third quarter. The hosts pushed the advantage to 50-39 after 30 minutes thanks to a rebound and putback by Kennedy Jackson (Peoria, Ill./Bartonville H.S./Carl Sandburg) in the final moments of the quarter.
The game nearly went out of reach when Hannam buried another 3 for a 53-39 cushion on the Red Devils' second trip of the fourth quarter. The visitors wouldn't go away, pulling within a possession when Karsen Kershner split two foul shots to trail 55-52 at the 4:11 mark. Kershner further narrowed the gap with a layup for a 55-54 deficit with 1:54 to go, ending a scoreless spell from both teams that lasted nearly three minutes.
The Red Devils ultimately went nearly seven minutes without a field goal in the fourth quarter, but forced six UD turnovers during the same stretch, including a critical shot clock violation while clinging to a 56-54 lead with 42 seconds remaining. Hannam put the game on ice on the ensuing sequence with a corner 3 in the final moments of the shot clock for a 59-54 lead.
Eureka drilled a season-high nine 3-pointers as a team and received 33 points from its bench. EC also equaled a season-low by committing just 15 turnovers.
Kershner led all players with 24 points and 12 rebounds. The Spartans outrebounded the Red Devils 49-45, but sputtered at the foul line (17-for-29) and committed a season-high 26 turnovers that led to 17 EC points.
The win evened the all-time series between EC and UD at two wins apiece. It was also Eureka's first win over Dubuque and first victory over an active member of the American Rivers Conference since opening the 1994-95 season with a 76-64 triumph over the Spartans as part of the Clarke Tournament on Nov. 18, 1994 in Dubuque. Michelle Myers scored 12 points and Jill McGinnis had 11 rebounds in that Eureka victory. EC beat the hosts the next night to win the tournament and kick off an 18-win season.
Friday's game was initially scheduled for mid-November but was postponed and rescheduled due to Covid-19 protocols.
Eureka will have a quick turnaround before Saturday's 1 p.m. St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference bout with Blackburn at the Reagan Athletic Complex.
