Red Devils Secure SLIAC Win at Spalding, 76-60

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Junior guard Hayley Reneau (Washington, Ill./Washington H.S./Illinois Central) tallied a game-high 23 points and senior forward Michaela Balducci (Eureka, Ill./Eureka H.S.) compiled another double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds, leading the Eureka College women's basketball team to a 76-60 win at Spalding, Saturday afternoon.

Eureka fell behind 11-3 less than four minutes into the contest. SU led for the remainder of the quarter, but the Red Devils used a 6-0 burst over the final 1:55 to trail at the end of the period, 20-19.

The Red Devils snagged their first lead of the afternoon when Lexi Dooley (Sutter, Ill./Warsaw H.S.) scored inside on Eureka's first possession of the second quarter for a 21-20 lead. The two teams traded the lead eight times in the second period before EC used another late-quarter surge for a halftime lead. Eureka outscored SU 12-4 over the final 4:09 of the half, turning a four-point deficit into a 42-38 halftime lead.

EC blew the game open with a dominant third quarter. Balducci's layup at the 8:10 mark gave the visitors their first double-digit lead, 49-39. The Golden Eagles pushed back with three consecutive baskets from Alex Martin to trim their deficit to 51-45, but Reneau answered with a triple to ignite an 11-2 run to end the quarter.

The Eureka lead swelled to as many as 17 points in the final quarter. SU was unable to get closer than 12 points in the final 10 minutes.

Reneau went 9-for-17 from the floor and 5-for-9 from 3-point range. She also had six steals. Balducci went 9-for-13 for the day and collected 12 of her 13 rebounds on the defensive end. The Red Devils compiled 23 assists on the day, led by a game-high eight from senior Luci Weis (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community H.S.). Junior Kerrigan Dura (Brimfield, Ill./Brimfield H.S.) finished the game with six assists.

The win is Eureka's second straight over Spalding and the first over SU in Louisville since Jan. 4, 2012. Eureka is now 2-0 in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

Eureka will take a nine-day break from game competition before returning to the road on Monday, Dec. 12 for a 5 p.m. contest at #25 Chicago of the University Athletic Association.