Eureka Blows by Iowa Wesleyan, 94-62
EUREKA — The Eureka women's basketball team picked up its fourth win in its past five games on Saturday, blowing out Iowa Wesleyan, 94-62.
The victory at Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena and Convocation Center completed the team's fourth St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep of the season.
It also propelled the team into a four-way tie for third place in the SLIAC. Webster and Fontbonne sit atop the standings with a 12-2 record, but after Saturday, Eureka, Greenville, Spalding and Westminster are all 9-5 in league play.
On Saturday at the Reagan Athletic Complex, Whitney Bozarth (Normal, Ill./Normal West) led the way with a career-high 33-point performance. The freshman guard went 11-for-17 form the field, knocked down 7 of 11 3s and was a terror on the defensive end as well, notching five steals.
In the third quarter alone, she made five 3s while going 6-for-8 from the floor and scoring 17 points.
Olivia Falls (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) produced a robust stat line of 15 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and six steals.
Ashley Harfst (Saunemin, Ill./Pontiact) added 14 points on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting. Jadyn Mitchell (Flanagan, Ill./Flanagan-Cornel) hit a pair of 3s and finished with 12 points off the bench, and Kennedy Dura (Edwards, Ill./Brimfield) distributed a season-high 11 assists.
As a team, the Red Devils shot 54.3 percent from the floor and 45.5 percent from 3-point range. They also made 8 of 11 free throws.
Iowa Wesleyan kept it close during an efficient opening quarter in which the team made seven of its first 11 shots.
But in the second quarter, the Tigers went ice-cold, and the Red Devils took full advantage of it.
While the visitors went 1-of-14 from the field and scored five points, Eureka poured in 24 points. The Tigers started hitting again in the second half, but the maroon and gold were too far out in front by then.
EC led by as many as 33 in the second half and finished the game with 56 points in the paint to IWU's 20. The Red Devils also scored 33 points off 34 IWU turnovers and outrebounded the visitors 37-25.
Allie Massner hit five 3s and finished with a team-high 19 for the Tigers. Morgan McCrea put away four triples and tallied 16.
On Wednesday, the Red Devils (13-8, 9-5 SLIAC) will be back at home again for a SLIAC showdown against one of the league's top teams, Fontbonne (13-8, 12-2). Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m. inside Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena.
