|
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
For Immediate Release
Feb. 17, 2010
Red Devils Blitz Lincoln Christian, 80-64
EUREKA, Ill. – Eureka College freshman center Mark Lessen (Delavan, Ill./Delavan H.S) scored a career-high 19 points and senior guard Kameron Bell (Clinton, Ill./Clinton H.S./Carl Sandburg) added 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, helping Eureka to an 80-64 non-conference victory over Lincoln Christian, Wednesday night at the Reagan Center. The win is Eureka’s fourth in its last five outings.
Lessen and Bell combined to score Eureka’s first 11 points as the Red Devils burst out of the gate for a 13-3 advantage less than four minutes into the game. The visitors bounced back, trimming their deficit back to single-digits, 20-12, after a basket from Kevin Watson with 12:11 remaining. The Red Devils answered with seven straight points to take a 27-12 lead, their largest of the first half. The Red Lions answered again with a 12-3 burst to get back within six (30-24), but Eureka ended the half on a 12-5 run to lead 42-29 at the break.
The Red Devils maintained a comfortable advantage early in the second half. The lead ballooned to as many as 16 points after sophomore guard Austin Nicholas (Manitou Springs, Colo./Manitou Springs H.S./Lamar) scored on a fast break opportunity to push Eureka in front, 52-36, with 13:49 left. The Red Lions would not go away, however, drawing within nine points (61-52) with 6:12 remaining. Eureka promptly answered with a three-point basket from senior forward Michael Zasada (McHenry, Ill./McHenry H.S.), and the Eureka advantage would not dip below double-digits again.
Zasada was strong on the glass for Eureka, snagging a season-high 16 rebounds to go along with 13 points. His final rebound with 3:52 remaining gave him 230 for the season, matching Ed Brady (1980-81) and Sam Reed (1980-81) for the 10th-highest single-season total in Eureka history. Zasada also passed three players on the all-time Eureka scoring list Wednesday night, and his jumper with 3:07 remaining gave him 1,243 career points for ninth place all-time at EC. He later added a free throw to finish the night with 1,244 points. He also matched a career-high with six assists.
Lessen scored 13 points to lead all scorers in the first half, and his 19 points easily topped his previous career-high of six points set earlier this season in victories at Fontbonne (Jan. 2) and Blackburn (Jan. 20). He added two blocked shots for his fifth multi-block game since Jan. 16. Sophomore guard Jordan Kindred (Chrisman, Ill./Chrisman H.S.) scored nine points and added six assists, the fourth time this season he’s dished out at least six helpers. Eureka finished the game with 24 assists, the most in a non-conference game this season.
Eureka will host its annual Senior Day this Saturday at the Reagan Center, hosting Westminster at 3 p.m. Zasada and Bell will be recognized during a ceremony prior to the contest.
###
For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
|
|---|
|
|---|
