Eureka runs past IW women in the fourth

Eureka and Iowa Wesleyan played neck-and-neck through three quarters during their SLIAC showdown on Wednesday night, but a cold shooting night for the Tigers and a 28-point Red Devil fourth quarter doomed IW. Eureka outscored the Tigers by 12 points int he fourth quarter and took the game 73-56.

IW trailed 12-9 after the first quarter and 29-24 at halftime. The Tigers shot just 25 percent from three-point land in the first two quarters, but they did get a 3-5 showing from Deeicka Martin. Martin's three makes from outside made her the team's leading scorer with nine points at the break.

The Tigers immediately tied the game up in the third quarter. Allie Massner drained a three-pointer just 13 seconds into the period, and Harriet Fowler followed with a jumper that tied the game at 29-29. Eureka, hoever, scored the next six points.

IW was never able to get the game tied back up. The Tigers did cut the game back to two points, at 39-37, on a couple of Madison Scholl free throws with 2:44 left in the third, but Eureka led by five, at 45-40 after three.

The Tigers cut the lead to four points on a Harriet Fowler free throw to start the fourth quarter scoring, but Eureka caught fire after that and began to pile on points. The Red Devils eventually stretched the lead to double digits and beyond.

'I was telling the girls in the locker room, we're right there,” said head coach Jack Bruns after the loss. 'We're just a couple minutes or a run away from being right there. I was proud for the most part, we've got to get better though.”

Darby finished with 14 points and two steals to lead the team. Martin scored 11 points. Allie had seven points and 10 rebounds, and both Fowler and Scholl scored seven as well.

Jordanne Mickley finished the night with four points. Emily Hammel, Da'Jaah Swolley and Sarah Kavanh each had two.