Eureka Falls to Blackburn Despite Career Night from Taylor

EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka women's basketball team fell 91-77 in its SLIAC opener on Tuesday night against Blackburn, despite a career night from Allysa Taylor.

Eureka opened the night with energy, taking a 2-1 lead on a layup from Courtney Hart (Lancaster, Calif./Yosemite). After Blackburn briefly went back in front, another Hart bucket gave the Red Devils a 4-3 advantage as the junior scored Eureka's first six points of the game. A 3-pointer from Railynn Brown (Erlanger, Ky./Lloyd Memorial) later put Eureka ahead 15-14, and back-to-back baskets by Allysa Taylor (Tehachapi, Calif./Tehachapi) stretched the margin to 19-16, the Red Devils' largest lead of the night. Taylor then capped the opening frame with a three-point play to give Eureka a 24-22 lead after the opening quarter.

Eureka pushed ahead 27-25 early in the second, but Blackburn responded with a 9-0 run to take control at 34-27. The Beavers built their largest first half lead at 38-29 before Eureka battled back, getting a pair of Taylor free throws and a late jumper from Brooklyn Bowman (Washington, Ill./Washington) to pull within 43-38 at halftime. Taylor led all scorers at the break with 15 points.

Eureka came out firing in the third. Bowman scored twice, and Brown buried a 3-pointer to tie the game at 45-45. Moments later, Taylor jumped a passing lane and went coast-to-coast for a layup to give Eureka its first lead since early in the second quarter at 47-45. The teams traded blows throughout the remainder of the quarter, tying the score four different times before Blackburn edged ahead 64-61 heading into the fourth.

Hart opened the final quarter with a layup to make it 64-63, but Blackburn countered with a decisive 6-0 run to push the margin to 70-63. The Red Devils continued to compete, but the Beavers maintained separation the rest of the way, handing Eureka a 91-77 loss.

Taylor paced Eureka with a career-high 24 points to go with seven rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. Hart added her second double double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Brown and Bowman each contributed key scoring stretches. Miracle Armstrong (Chicago, Ill./Wendell Phillips) finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and two steals.

UP NEXT

Eureka heads to Terre Haute on Saturday for an exhibition matchup at Indiana State. The Red Devils then return home to resume SLIAC play on Friday, Dec. 6, against Westminster.