Bob Hunt Photographer

Eureka College honored HOF and former men’s head basketball coach Dave Darnall (1974-1994) at half-time of the Eureka-Principia men’s basketball game at the Reagan Center. More than 75 former Red Devils joined Darnall and his family on the floor for the ceremony. Darnall’s teams went 383-151 from 1974-94, making the NAIA playoffs 13 times. The national championship came two months after he announced he would retire at season’s end. The newly painted center court at Reagan Center as “Championship Circle,” with special mention of “Coach Dave Darnall” and his 1994 NAIA Division II national champions.

-Bob

Eureka College junior center D.T. Thornton paced the Red Devils with a career-high 15 points and seven rebounds in just 14 minutes of action off the bench for a  85-57 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over Principia, Saturday afternoon at the Reagan Center. The Red Devils (3-3, 2-0 SLIAC) led from wire-to-wire on Saturday, scoring on their second possession of the game and never trailing in picking up their second consecutive SLIAC victory.  Eureka’s lead hit double-digits for the first time on Thornton’s putback for a 20-9 advantage at the 9:47 mark of the first half.  The Red Devils led by as many as 16 points in the first 20 minutes after a 3-pointer from junior guard Jordan Kindred for a 26-10 advantage with 8:26 left before halftime. Kindred’s three pointer put the exclamation point on 13-1 EC run that covered nearly three minutes midway through the half. As a team, Eureka recorded a season-high 23 assists and a season-low eight turnovers. In addition to taking care of the ball on the offensive end, Eureka shot 62 percent (21-for-34) from the field in the second half and limited the Panthers to 30 percent (14-for-46) shooting for the game.

-Bob

The Eureka College women’s basketball team saw its season-opening four-game winning streak come to an end Saturday afternoon, as visiting Principia rallied to overcome a late deficit and eventually pulled away for a 68-58 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win against the Red Devils at the Reagan Center. The Red Devils (4-1, 1-1 SLIAC) came out of the gate strong, putting together a 20-11 advantage less than six minutes into the contest behind three 3-point baskets from senior guard Sara Hamilton.  The Red Devils kept the lead until the closing moments of the first half, as Principia’s (3-4, 2-0 SLIAC) Shannon Briggs knocked down a 3-point basket for a 32-30 advantage with 1:03 remaining before intermission.  The basket was a part of a 10-0 run by the visitors to close the first half with a 35-30 lead. Caty Eeten scored a game-high 23 points for the Red Devils, while Jenna Brooks and Hamilton chipped in with 11 points apiece.  Senior forward Khassandre Brown added 11 boards, Eureka compiled 13 steals as a team and forced 26 Panthers turnovers.

-Bob

Eureka College junior outside hitter Kelli Dunne put down a game-high 11 kills and senior middle blocker Brittany Feger set a new career-high with four service aces, leading the Red Devils to a 25-17, 25-15, 25-15 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over Blackburn, Tuesday night at the Reagan Center. Dunne’s first two kills of the match gave the Red Devils (2-8, 1-2 SLIAC) a 2-1 lead in the first game, a lead the Red Devils would hold on to for a large portion of the game.  After the visitors forced a 15-15 tie and a Eureka timeout, the Red Devils closed the set with a flurry to take an early lead in the match.  A Blackburn attack error ignited a 10-2 Eureka run to end the game, and senior middle blocker Paige Fannon capped the surge for the hosts when her kill secured the Red Devils’ 25-17 win. Eureka trailed only once in the final game of the match.  Smith’s service ace gave the Beavers a 6-5 lead before Eureka junior Shari Steidinger and senior Annette Crady put down consecutive kills to push the Red Devils back in front.  After Eureka stretched its lead to four (15-11), the Beavers gave one final push and pulled within a point (15-14) on a Eureka attack error.

-Bob

Eureka College senior guard Craig Black poured in a career-high 21 points and senior guard Cody Myers dished out a career-high seven assists, lifting the Red Devils to a 92-73 Senior Night drubbing of Blackburn, Wednesday night at the Reagan Center.  Eureka sophomore center Mark Lessen added a career-high 23 points in the win. Eureka (3-20, 2-12 SLIAC) controlled the early going, but Blackburn (5-19, 2-13 SLIAC) was able to push in front as late as the 7:03 mark of the first half when Julian Lott’s 3-pointer gave the visitors a 20-19 advantage.  The Red Devils answered with a 3-point basket from sophomore guard Jordan Fehr on the very next possession and the Red Devils would never trail again.  The Eureka first half lead swelled to as many as nine points when Myers drilled a 3-pointer in the final minute of the half to set the halftime score at 41-32 in favor of the Red Devils.

-Bob