Red Devils Fall to Spalding After Late Game Winning Shot

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Eureka women's basketball team fell to Spalding 57-56 in a close contest on the road on Saturday afternoon.

In the first quarter, the Red Devils capitalized on the Golden Eagles' turnovers, scoring 11 points off turnovers while committing only five turnovers themselves. Sierra Garcia-Reisch (Las Animas, Colo./La Junta) opened the scoring with a layup at the 7:40 mark, assisted by Maxine Najera (Riverside, Calif./Hillcrest). Elena Redgate (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) contributed to the score with a jumper and later a layup. Miya Webb (Indianapolis, Ind./Brownsburg) provided a spark with a fast-break layup following her own steal, and Brin Hultz (Quincy, Ill./Quincy) added a 3-pointer, helping the Red Devils to a 15-6 lead by the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter, Spalding started with a 13-0 scoring run to gain the lead. At 3:26, Allannah Jackson (Peoria, Ill./Peoria) assisted Elena Redgate on a layup to end the scoring run, bringing the score closer at 17-19. The Red Devils tied the game at 23-23 with a tip-in by Josie Ness (Sandwich, Ill./Sandwich), and Alyssa Abascal's (El Paso, Texas/El Dorado) late layup put the Red Devils ahead 25-23 before the Golden Eagles tied it at the end of the half.

The Red Devils started strong in the third quarter with Sierra Garcia-Reisch scoring a 3-pointer, aided by Allannah Jackson's assist, to give the Red Devils a 28-25 lead. Jackson was active defensively with multiple steals, contributing to a tight back-and-forth game, with both teams tying the score twice. Despite efforts from Brin Hultz, who tied the game at 33 with a 3-pointer, the Golden Eagles pulled ahead, leading 44-38 at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Red Devils showcased a strong offensive effort, scoring 18 points compared to the Golden Eagles' 13. Miya Webb contributed significantly by hitting two key 3-pointers, the first narrowing the score to 49-45, and the second bringing the game to 51-48. Sierra Garcia-Reisch's layup with 2:26 remaining put the Red Devils ahead 52-51, and the team maintained their lead with Webb's free throws sealing a 54-51 advantage. Though the Golden Eagles briefly regained the lead, Elena Redgate's jumper with 29 seconds remaining gave the lead back to the Red Devils. However, Spalding would respond with a layup with 11 seconds remaining, giving themselves a 57-56 lead. The Red Devils had a chance to win the game late, but a desperation shot at the buzzer by Eureka wouldn't fall as the Red Devils dropped their second straight game.

Miya Webb contributed significantly with 12 points, 2 steals, and 4 assists. Allannah Jackson also had an impressive defensive impact with 6 steals and 5 assists, leading the team in both categories. Sierra Garcia-Reisch made her presence known by scoring 11 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. Elena Redgate was the team's top scorer with 14 points, making 6 baskets and securing 8 rebounds, tying with Garcia-Reisch for the most rebounds on the team.

UP NEXT

The Red Devils will face Lyon on the road on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 5:30 p.m. Eureka is currently tied with Lyon for 4th place in the SLIAC.