Women's Basketball Preview: Eureka Seeks First Win in Road Clash with Illinois Tech

CHICAGO, Ill. – The Eureka women's basketball team hits the road for the first time this season on Tuesday night, traveling to Illinois Tech for a 7 p.m. matchup at the Keating Sports Center as the Red Devils look to break into the win column.

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LAST TIME OUT:

Eureka closed its opening weekend with an 88-50 loss to UW-Stevens Point on Saturday afternoon. The Pointers surged ahead early with a 24-4 run and carried a 31-7 lead after the first quarter. The Red Devils opened the second quarter with back-to-back threes from Allysa Taylor and Miracle Armstrong to cut the deficit to 20, but UWSP responded with a 10-0 push and took a 52-26 lead into halftime.

Eureka continued to compete through the third quarter, highlighted by four straight points from Sierra Garcia-Reisch, but Stevens Point extended its advantage to 67-37 and closed out the win. Garcia-Reisch led Eureka with 19 points, three assists, and six steals, while Taylor added 11 points and six rebounds. Courtney Hart anchored the paint with nine points and 13 boards.

ABOUT THE RED DEVILS:

Eureka enters Tuesday at 0-2 after opening the year against a pair of tough opponents, including No. 3 UW-Oshkosh. Garcia-Reisch leads the team at 13.0 points per game, while Hart paces the Red Devils on the glass with 9.0 rebounds per contest. Eureka will look to avenge last season's 70-60 home loss to the Scarlet Hawks.

ABOUT THE SCARLET HAWKS:

Illinois Tech comes in at 0-3 after dropping games to Spalding, Principia and Beloit to start the season. The Scarlet Hawks return four starters from last year's 10-win campaign, led by senior forward Chloe Churilla, who was an All-NACC honorable mention last season and currently leads the team at 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Senior Grace Goodnough adds frontcourt scoring and efficiency, shooting 50% from the field, while junior guard Berit Rusing anchors the defense with 3.7 steals per game.

Illinois Tech's roster also features six newcomers and a retooled coaching staff under sixth-year head coach Carissa Sain, who has emphasized a more disruptive, high-energy identity for the Scarlet Hawks this season.

LOOKING AHEAD:

Eureka heads to Indiana next weekend for the Hanover College Tournament, opening play Friday at 5 p.m. against host Hanover.