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Posted: Feb 26, 2025

Red Devils Punch Ticket to SLIAC Semifinals with Convincing Win Over MUW

Red Devils Punch Ticket to SLIAC Semifinals with Convincing Win Over MUW

The Eureka men's basketball team made a strong statement in the SLIAC Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday night, defeating MUW 76-59 to extend their winning streak to four games.

MUW opened the game with a layup by Cam Smith at the 18:48 mark, but Eureka quickly responded as Peewee Brown (Peoria, Ill./Manual) answered with a layup of his own. Brown contributed eight first-half points, helping the Red Devils stay within striking distance early. The Owls briefly extended their lead behind a strong sequence from Dariun Doss, who converted an offensive rebound into a three-point play at 16:20. However, Eureka soon took control, fueled by a late 14-4 run. Ben Carter (Morton, Ill./Morton) capped the surge with a 3-pointer at 3:37, sending the Red Devils into halftime with a 38-28 advantage.

Eureka maintained their momentum in the second half, outscoring MUW 38-31 to secure the victory. Max Richardson (LaHarpe, Ill./Illini West) delivered the highlight of the night with a transition dunk at the 8:53 mark, pushing the Red Devils' lead to a game-high 19 points and energizing the home crowd. The Owls made a late push, cutting the deficit to eight with 2:23 remaining, but Eureka responded with a dominant 9-0 closing run to put the game away and finish out a dominant 76-59 victory.

GAME NOTES

  • The win marked Head Coach Chip Wilde's seventh career SLIAC Tournament victory.
  • Peewee Brown led Eureka with 23 points, shooting 6-of-14 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line, while also tallying three steals.
  • Emaryon Byrd (Peoria, Ill./Manual) recorded his 13th double-double of the season with 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
  • Jaxson Provost (Kankakee, Ill./Bishop McNamara) contributed 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting and added a steal.
  • Ben Carter finished with 10 points, making three of his eight attempts from the field and going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
  • Micah Bruer (Washington, Ill./Washington) added seven points and secured five rebounds.

UP NEXT

Eureka advances to the SLIAC Tournament semifinals, where they will face top-seeded Greenville on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 7:30 p.m. in Greenville, Ill. The Red Devils will look to avenge two regular season losses to Greenville, falling 119-114 at home and 124-114 on the road.