For Immediate Release

jacksonville, illinois

November 22, 2008

late comeback gives eureka 1st win of the season

Boxscore

The Eureka Red Devils rallied back from a 10 point second half deficit, took the lead in the final minute on a basket by Mark Darnall (Lake Mills, Wis./HS) and survived three missed shots by Earlham College to pick up their first win of the year, 64-63, in the consolation game of the Bill Merris Tournament at Illinois College.

In a game the featured 10 lead changes and a total of 58 three-point field goal attempts, it was more than fitting that both came into play in the final minute of action.

The Red Devils (1-2), who had fallen behind 50-40 with just over 11 minutes to play, held Earlham (0-2) scoreless over the final 2:30 of the contest in order to score the final four points of the game. Michael Zasada (McHenry, Ill./HS) hit two free throws to get Eureka within 63-62, then Darnall's shot coming out of a Eureka timeout put the Red Devils ahead 64-63.

The Quakers missed four three-point tries in the last two minutes of the game. The last of which was taken at the buzzer by Tristain Gregory, who scored 33 points to lead all players in the game, including 19 in the second half. The choice of shots could be surprising since Earlham either led or trailed by one point at the time, but the Quakers had long since thrown caution to the wind offensively. An alarming 40 out of their 58 field goal attempts on the day were launched from three-point territory.

It was the second day in a row the Red Devils sprinted out to a commanding first half lead only to fall behind by double figures after halftime. This time, Eureka left enough in the tank to pull it out at the end.

Brady Wildenradt (Delavan, Ill./HS) trupeted the Red Devils' entrance, connecting on a pair of three-pointers in the early going as Eureka ran out to an 18-6 advantage. It was the Red Devils firing well from long range at the start as Zasada's trey at the 13 minute mark made Eureka 3-for-6 from long range. The Red Devils would miss all five attempts behind the arc the rest of the half, but maintain at least a six point lead. Seven different Red Devils scored in building a 30-22 halftime advantage.

Eureka shot 48 percent (11-for-23) in the first half compared to Earlham's 24 percent (7-29). Andy Leppard (Crescent City, Ill./Crescent-Iroquois) moved the Red Devils on top 32-22 on the first possession after the break, but Earlham started the period a perfect 8-for-8 from the field, including five three-pointers to ignite a 28-8 rally.

The Quakers' largest lead of the game did not last long, however, as the Red Devils scored the next 10 points to tie the score at 50 with nine minutes remaining. The game was tied four more times before Earlham pulled ahead 63-60 on a lay up by Gregory. His shot came with 2:30 left, leaving plenty of time for Eureka's game-winning comeback.

The Red Devils' inside game served them well in this match up as they were able to overcome being outscored 42-18 from three-point range by gaining a 16-5 advantage at the foul line and out-shooting Earlham 47 percent to 38 percent.

Eureka shot 80 percent (16-for-20) at the charity stripe thanks to a perfect 5-for-5 by Darnall and Zasada. They had 15 and 12 points respectively and were joined in double figures by Chris Beecher (Dixon, Ill./HS) with 11. The trio had a combined 38 points despite making just one trey between them. Zasada had a large part to do with Eureka's 41-24 advantage in rebounds. He had 13 himself for his first double-double of the year. He also chipped in three steals and three assists.

Wildenradt finished with nine points, making three of Eureka's six three-point baskets. Jordan Kindred (Chrisman, Ill./HS) scored seven points and handed out three assists.

The Red Devils' next game will be their home opener Wednesday, November 26 at 6:00 pm versus Monmouth College.

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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