Women’s Basketball Preview: Eureka Prepares for MUW After Owls’ First SLIAC Win

EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka women's basketball team returns home on Thursday evening to host MUW in a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup, with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m. The Red Devils will look to build on positives from their most recent outing as they square off with an MUW squad coming off a momentum-boosting conference win.

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LAST TIME OUT:

Eureka is coming off a competitive road loss on Saturday afternoon, falling 90-73 at Blackburn in the second meeting between the two teams this season. The Red Devils put together one of their strongest performances of the year, leading for much of the contest and holding a 44-37 advantage at halftime.

Abigail Martinez turned in a career night to lead Eureka, scoring a personal-best 19 points while knocking down timely shots throughout the game. Railynn Brown also posted a career-high with 12 points, while Courtney Hart recorded her third double-double of the season with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Allysa Taylor added a well-rounded performance with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals.

Eureka built its largest lead of the afternoon early in the third quarter, but Blackburn used a late surge to pull away down the stretch.

RED DEVIL REPORT:

Eureka enters Thursday focused on turning strong stretches into a full 40-minute effort. One key area will be three-point efficiency. The Red Devils attempt 29.4 shots from beyond the arc per game, the 11th-highest mark in the nation, and are aiming to improve on their shooting percentage from deep. Eureka showed signs of progress in its last outing, connecting at a 29.7 percent clip from long range.

Defensively, keeping MUW below the 70-point mark will be another focal point. While all Eureka's opponents have topped that number throughout the season, the Owls enter Thursday having scored 70 or fewer points in each of their last seven contests. Limiting second-chance opportunities will be critical as the Red Devils look to protect home court.

OWL OUTLOOK:

MUW comes to Eureka riding high after earning its first SLIAC win of the season, a 68-65 upset of Lyon on Saturday. Senior forward Mia Bowen led the way with a career-high 32 points and 15 rebounds, recording her fifth double-double of the season. Bowen enters the matchup ranked among the national leaders in both scoring and blocked shots, averaging 19.6 points and 3.5 blocks per game.

MUW has found consistent success attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line, ranking fourth nationally in free throws attempted per game and leading the country in free throws made per game. The Owls are also tough defensively around the rim, sitting 14th in Division III in blocks per game.

Calysia Phillips provides additional playmaking for MUW, while the Owls' defensive pressure and physicality have helped them remain competitive throughout conference play.

LOOKING AHEAD:

Following Thursday's contest, Eureka will remain at home to host Lyon on Saturday at 1 p.m., continuing a pivotal stretch of SLIAC action as the Red Devils work toward their first conference win of the season.