Tiger women can’t tame Red Devils

MT. PLEASANT - Visiting Eureka College sped up the game in the Iowa Wesleyan women's basketball team's Third St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest, and the Tigers couldn't adjust in an 86-61 loss.

Eureka used a combination of pressure defense and transition buckets to wear down a Tiger team that is Abel to dress just eight players. The Red Devils led 21-14 after one period, 39-28 at halftime and 70-41 after three quarters.

'Defensive transition is what we had keyed on for the last two days,” said Tiger women's basketball coach Jazmyne Laskey. 'But we basically let them do what they want to do.”

The Tigers had a fast start to the 2021 conference slate, beating Blackburn College on the road in the season opener and leading perennial power Westminster College at halftime earlier in the week, but for the first time in SLIAC play, the Tigers found themselves down double digits for the majority of the contest.

'Honestly, I think it's just effort,” Laskey said. 'You've got to want to stop the ball in defensive transition.”

Anija Simmons scored 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Tiger charge. Morgan McCrea coled the team in scoring, with 15 points.

Asantee Tillman reached double digits, finishing the night with 10 points. Hannah Sykora had eight points and three steals. Sydney Farrar scored six points. Taylor Wiatrak had four, and Chris Heiman finished the night with three.

The Tigers are now 1-6 overall and 1-2 in SLIAC play. They will travel on Tuesday night to take on Webster Unviersity (2-1, 2-1).