Red Devils Unable to Hold Early Lead, Fall 74-69 to Westminster

EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka women's basketball team fell short against Westminster on Saturday, losing 74-69 in a hard-fought game.

The Red Devils came out strong in the first quarter, capitalizing on Westminster turnovers to quickly establish control. With an 11-0 scoring run to start the game, Eureka's dominance was on full display. Allannah Jackson (Peoria, Ill./Peoria) made her presence known with both offensive and defensive plays, contributing an assist and a steal, while Maxine Najera (Riverside, Calif./Hillcrest) was a key offensive force, scoring 10 points and adding two steals. Miya Webb (Indianapolis, Ind./Brownsburg) also made her mark with a timely 3-pointer, helping Eureka to a 29-15 lead by the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Eureka maintained its momentum with Alyssa Abascal (El Paso, Texas/El Dorado) hitting a 3-pointer and following it up with a layup. However, turnovers became a recurring issue for the Red Devils, giving the Blue Jays the opportunity to capitalize with fast-break points. Despite the turnovers, Josie Ness (Sandwich, Ill./Sandwich) and Elena Redgate (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) held strong defensively, grabbing key rebounds and blocking shots. However, Westminster outscored Eureka 22-13 in the quarter, narrowing the Red Devils' lead to 42-37 at halftime.

The third quarter saw a dramatic shift. Eureka, which had led for the entire first half, found itself trailing for the first time. Maxine Najera opened the Eureka's scoring in the quarter with a jumper, briefly putting the Red Devils ahead, 44-41. She continued her solid performance with another jumper and a free throw, keeping the game close. Miya Webb also stepped up, contributing an assist and a jumper to tie the game at 54-54. Despite their efforts, the Red Devils found themselves trailing 60-57 at the end of the quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the game remained a back-and-forth battle. Najera started things off with an assist to Elena Redgate, whose layup briefly gave the Red Devils a one-point lead. Sierra Garcia-Reisch (Las Animas, Colo./La Junta) tied things up at 61 with a jumper before the Blue Jays pulled ahead with a 3-pointer. The Red Devils had several chances to reclaim the lead, but a costly turnover and missed shots kept the Blue Jays in control. Allannah Jackson scored a key layup to bring the score to 70-67 with just minutes remaining, and Redgate's free throws kept the game within reach. However, Westminster held firm, ultimately securing the victory 74-69.

Miya Webb led Eureka with 16 points, including five field goals and three 3-pointers. Allannah Jackson also impressed with a career-high of 11 points, she also added five assists and two steals. Maxine Najera was another standout, contributing 17 points, seven field goals, and four steals. Josie Ness was a dominant presence on the boards, leading the team with 10 rebounds.

UP NEXT

The Red Devils will head to Greenville to take on the Panthers on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 5:30 p.m. The game will be a crucial matchup for Eureka, which currently sits in 5th place in the SLIAC standings, just two games behind Greenville in 4th. Eureka won the previous meeting between the teams 72-57 at home.