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For Immediate Releaseeureka, illinois
Fisher now 2nd on EC rebounds list, closes in on season record
ST. LOUIS — The Eureka College Red Devils may have come up short on the road to Fontbonne University Saturday 63-51, but the game did set up a historic day in Eureka's next game Wednesday.
Eureka senior Brittany Gardner (Mooresville, Ind./HS) scored 13 points to bring her to within 15 of becoming the 13th Red Devil to reach 1,000 career points. Meanwhile, her classmate Nicole Fisher (Canton, Ill./HS), who recorded her 1,000th point earlier this season, pulled down 17 rebounds to give her 252 on the season, just four shy of Eureka's single season record of 256 set by Danielle Funderburk in the 1998-99 season.
The Red Devils (5-15, 4-8 SLIAC) battled to a draw at the end of the first half with the favored Griffins (12-8, 10-2 SLIAC) after an opening 20 minutes that witnessed eight lead changes. There were also five ties, with the last of which occurring with no time on the clock as Shelby Naab (Beecher City, Ill./HS) sank a free throw after being fouled as time expired.
Fontbonne's early 4-0 lead was the largest either team would enjoy in the first stanza. Eureka shot just 25 percent (7-for-28) in the half, but managed to keep up by making 14-of-18 at the line led bya combined 13-for-16 effort by Fisher and Naab.
Gardner gave EC its final lead in the first minute after halftime with a three-pointer that made the count 32-31. Fontbonne would go on score the next seven points for a 38-32 advantage. Eureka sliced the deficit to four on three occasions on two baskets by Gardner and one from Brandi Payne (Eureka, Ill./HS) only to see the Griffins pull away each time.
After Fontbonne had extended its lead to 13, Eureka fought back to within 59-51 on a driving lay up by Payne with still 3:15 to go. The Red Devils had five possessions before the Griffins scored again for a chance to get even closer, but were kept off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game.
Fisher, who secured her third consecutive double-double by halftime with 13 points and 10 rebounds, finished with 18 tallies and 17 boards. She moved into second place on the Eureka career rebounds list with 808, passing Carrie Eisenbarth (1999-2003), who had 803. Fisher is 82 boards away from the all-time record of 890 held by Jill McGinnis (1991-95) with five regular season games remaining.
Naab registered a career-high 14 rebounds to go with her seven points and zero turnovers in 30 minutes. Gardner scored 13 and Payne chipped in 12 for the EC cause. The Red Devils shot a season-low 29 percent (15-for-52) from the field.
Katherine Kirby led four Griffins in double figures with 14 points. Heather McAllister had 11 points and 10 caroms. The top two ranked rebounding squads in the conference coming into the game battled to a stalemate on the boards with 49 apiece.
The Red Devils will host MacMurray College for their next game on Wednesday, February 13 at 6:00 pm. Eureka beat the Highlanders 61-39 on the road January 16.
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For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
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