Eureka, IL 2/4/2023- The Westminster College men's basketball team took on the Eureka College Red Devils in Eureka, Illinois on Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays would lead early on but Eureka would get the lead back at 10-9 and lead the rest of the way. They would win the game 85-69. Westminster is now 2-19 on the season and 1-9 in the SLIAC. Eureka improves to 7-14 on the year and 5-5 in the SLIAC.
The Blue Jays would get a 5-2 lead after Makygh Galbreath (Fulton, MO/ Fulton) hit a three-pointer in the opening minutes. Eureka would get the lead at 10-9 and went on a run to make it 20-9 and then 31-13. Outscoring the Blue Jays 21-4 in that seven-minute stretch. The Blue Jays would make a comeback and cut the Red Devil lead to five after Jaxon Althaus (Oak Grove, MO/Oak Grove) hit a three to make it 39-34 with 2:02 left in the half. Eureka would go on a 6-2 run to end the half leading 45-36.
Eureka would get their lead back up to eleven after making a jumper to start the second half. They would hit a three a couple of minutes later to go up 52-38 with 16:39 left in the game. Althaus would answer with a three of his own. Tre Kempker (Eugene, MO/ Eugene) and Ben Eberlin (Hardin, IL / Calhoun) followed up with a layup to make it 52-45, capping off a 7-0 run. The Blue Jays would continue to hang around but were unable to get within striking distance to regain the lead. The Red Devils kept them at arm's length with at least a five-point lead. The Red Devils would go on a run to get their lead back up to ten points and go on to win the game 85-69.
Althaus led the Blue Jays with 22 points, making four 3s in the game. He would also grab 6 rebounds. Eberlin would score 15 points coming in off the bench and going 3-3 from the free-throw line. Brennan Jeffries (Jefferson City, MO/Jefferson City) was the third Blue Jay to score in double figures with 11 points.
The Blue Jays will be in action on Wednesday, January 8th when they travel to Greenville, Illinois to face off against the Greenville University Panthers. That game will tip off at 7:30 PM.
