Eureka Tops Spalding, Clinches SLIAC Tourney Berth, 75-52
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Eureka women's basketball team locked up a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament berth with a 75-52 victory at Spalding on Saturday.
Eureka senior Sydney Hannam (Canton, Ill./Canton/Spoon River) led the way with a game-high 27 points. She shot 7-for-12 from the field, made a pair of 3s and put away 11 of 12 free-throw attempts in her 13th 20-point effort of the season.
Shakaya Rogers (Hanover, Mich./Concord/Glen Oaks) recorded third career double-double and her second against the Golden Eagles this season, notching 15 points and 10 rebounds on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and from the free-throw line.
Savanah Moore (Clinton, Ill./Mount Pulaski/MacMurray) racked up a game-high and a career-high 15 rebounds, along with eight points.
Abby Stotler (Wyoming, Ill./Stark County/MacMurray) added nine points, and Madi Jernigan (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone/Blackburn posted eight points, six rebounds and a game-high eight assists.
As they did in their Senior-Night win over Principia this week, the Red Devils got off to a good start on Saturday.
The visitors used a 10-2 run to take their first double-digit lead on a jumper by Jurnee Flournoy (Decatur, Ill./Decatur MacArthur) with 2:33 left in the first quarter. The Golden Eagles fought to keep it within single digits in the second quarter, but the Red Devils went into halftime with a 12-point advantage.
Eureka started pulling away in the second half of the third quarter.
It was an eight-point game with 4:46 until the fourth, then the Red Devils went on a 14-2 run to make it 59-39 heading into the final frame. Eureka held the home team bay the rest of the way.
Spalding senior Kailey Reed made 3 3-pointers and scored a team-high 14 points. She was only the Golden Eagle to reach double figures.
The Red Devils held Spalding to 29 percent shooting on the day while recording a 37.1 field-goal percentage on the other end. They also dominated the glass, outrebounding the Golden Eagles 54-37.
The maroon and gold committed 12 turnovers – the third-lowest total of the season and the second-lowest in league play.
The win clinched a third-straight SLIAC Tournament berth for the Red Devils under third-year head coach Jaylynn Stewart.
Eureka ends the 2022-23 regular season with an 8-18 record and a 5-9 mark in the SLIAC.
On Tuesday, the sixth-seeded Red Devils will head to Fulton, Missouri, to face third-seeded Westminster (16-9, 10-4 SLIAC) in the SLIAC Tournament quarterfinals. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.