Eureka Storms Back, but Lyon Escapes with OT Win

EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka men's basketball team showed grit and resilience Saturday afternoon, rallying from a 14-point second half deficit to force overtime, but ultimately fell 84-79 to Lyon in a hard-fought SLIAC battle.

Eureka struck first as Ben Carter (Morton, Ill./Morton) opened the scoring with a layup, and the Red Devils controlled the early tempo behind baskets from Micah Bruer (Washington, Ill./Washington Community) and Jaxson Provost (Kankakee, Ill./Bishop McNamara) to take an 8-4 advantage. Lyon responded to tie the game several times, but Eureka did not trail during the opening 10 minutes. The Scots eventually grabbed their first lead at the 9:50 mark and used a 9-0 run to create separation. Despite baskets from Damuzha Moore (Champaign, Ill./Urbana) and Max Richardson (LaHarpe, Ill./Illini West) that briefly cut the deficit, Lyon rebuilt its cushion and carried a 35-26 lead into halftime.

Lyon extended its lead into double figures early in the second half, but Eureka continued to chip away. A three-pointer from Provost cut the margin to 44-40 with just under 15 minutes remaining. The Scots answered to push the lead back to nine and later stretched it to a game-high 14 with just over six minutes to play. Refusing to fold, the Red Devils sparked a furious comeback led by Andrew Coker (Washington, Ill./Washington) and Jaxson Provost. Eureka rattled off a 14-0 run, capped by a pair of free throws from Provost that tied the game at 64-64 and erased the deficit.

Down 66-64 late, Eureka answered immediately as Provost attacked the rim for a layup to tie the game before making a momentum-shifting play on the defensive end, coming up with a steal and finding Micah Bruer for a go-ahead layup with 1:11 remaining. Lyon responded to even the score at 68-68, but Bruer put the Red Devils back in front at the free throw line with 17 seconds left. After a series of timeouts, Lyon drove the lane on its final possession and missed a contested layup, but an offensive rebound and loose ball foul sent the Scots back to the stripe with five seconds remaining. Lyon split the pair to tie the game at 69-69, and Bruer's final look from half court at the buzzer came up short, forcing overtime.

In the extra period, Lyon struck first and built momentum with strong defense, forcing turnovers and converting at the line. Eureka stayed within striking distance thanks to a clutch three from Moore and late free throws from Provost, but the Scots were steady down the stretch and sealed the 84-79 win.

Jaxson Provost delivered a standout performance, pouring in 31 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals. Micah Bruer added nine points and three assists, while Andrew Coker chipped in eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. Damuzha Moore provided a spark off the bench with eight points and five rebounds, and Max Richardson finished with six points, three assists, and three blocks.

UP NEXT

Eureka continues SLIAC play on the road Wednesday night, traveling to conference-leading Webster for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. The Gorloks enter the matchup unbeaten in league action at 5-0.