For Immediate Release
macomb, illinois
November 19, 2008
EC gives D-I Western Illinois challenge in season opener
Boxscore
The 2008-09 Eureka College men's basketball season began much like the previous one ended — with Eureka raining in three-pointers. The Red Devils, who sank 19 three-point field goals in a season finale win to end last season, made nine treys in the first half of their season opener at Western Illinois. This time though, it did not result in a win as Eureka's NCAA Division I opponent secured a 75-57 victory.
Mark Darnall (Lake Mills, Wis./HS) and Michael Zasada (McHenry, Ill./HS) each connected from behind the arc three times and scored 11 points helping Eureka lead by as many as five points in the opening frame. Zasada gave the Red Devils their first lead at 15-14 with a triple at the 13:19 mark and later capped an 8-0 EC spurt with treys on back-to-back possessions that lifted Eureka to a 23-18 advantage.
The Leathernecks (1-2) see-sawed back ahead briefly before Darnall and Brady Wildenradt (Delavan, Ill./HS) collaborated with three-pointers on consecutive possessions to put EC back on top by five, 31-26. Darnall canned another three in an attempt to keep Eureka ahead, but the Red Devils were held to two points over the final 3:30 allowing Western Illinois to surge in front 43-38 at intermission.
After a first half that saw WIU post a sizzling 62 percent (18-for-29) from the field and Eureka hit on 54 percent (13-24), including 75 percent (9-12) from long range, both teams were set on asserting themselves defensively in the second half. There were a total of 51 points scored after the break, compared to 81 that had been put on the board in the opening half of action.
Western Illinois forced 10 Eureka turnovers and allowed only one Red Devils three-pointer in the second half. That would turn out to be one more than WIU would make from three-point territory, but the Leathernecks benefitted from a parade to the free throw line as they made 14 out of 19 attempts accounting for 44 percent of their second half points. The Red Devils shot just two foul shots in the same time period, making both.
The hosts pulled ahead 52-40 by completing a 20-4 run with 15:30 remaining. They enjoyed a comfortable margin until the Red Devils grabbed a pair of key offensive rebounds to get back into the game. Zasada rebounded an EC miss and found Darnall for a wide open three-pointer, then Kameron Bell (Clinton, Ill./HS), who had just had a two points taken away on a basket interference call, set up his own bucket with an offensive board to get Eureka within 62-55 with six minutes left.
However, WIU went on to record the next seven points as EC committed turnovers on its next three possessions. The 69-55 lead Western obtained proved too large for the Red Devils to overcome with just four minutes with which to work.
Zasada led Eureka with 15 points and nine rebounds. He was also one of five Red Devils with multiple assists on the night. Darnall finished with 14 points, while his four-year backcourt mate Wildenradt added nine. Eureka newcomers Bell and Andy Leppard (Crescent City, Ill./Crescent-Iroquois) had six points apiece and Jordan Kindred (Chrisman, Ill./HS) tallied five points and five boards.
David DuBois led four Leathernecks in double figures with 17 points. Quenton Kirby sparked WIU off the bench with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Red Devils will return to the court Friday, November 21 in the first round of the Illinois College Tournament in Jacksonville. Eureka will take on former conference rival Benedictine University at 7:30 pm. The tournament will conclude the following day with the consolation game at 1:00 pm and the championship at 3:00 pm.
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For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
Sports Information Director
Eureka College
300 E. College Avenue
Eureka, Illinois 61530
309-467-6456
bmoore@eureka.edu
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