Chicago, Ill. — Illinois Tech women's basketball came into their home opener against Eureka College Tuesday night at the Keating Sports Center looking for their first win of the season. The Scarlet Hawks led almost wire-to-wire, downing the Red Devils 71-58, dominating the paint with 40 points and securing a 46-34 rebounding advantage.
Illinois Tech improved to 1-3 overall following their victory. Eureka is now 0-3 on the season.
How It Happened
The game began with Illinois Tech's
Chloe Churilla capitalizing on a steal to score a fast-break layup, putting the home team on the board first. Eureka's Courtney Hart responded with two free throws to tie the score at 2-2. Illinois Tech's
Grace Goodnough then made significant contributions, scoring a jumper and a fast-break layup, extending the lead to 6-4.
Abigail Marino's three-pointer at 7:08 and
Camden Joko's three-pointer at 6:22 helped the Scarlet Hawks establish a 12-4 advantage. Eureka's Miracle Armstrong narrowed the gap with a three-pointer at 0:58, but the home team maintained control with Marino's two free throws at 0:04, closing the quarter at 20-14 in favor of Illinois Tech.
Eureka outscored Illinois Tech 16-14 in the second quarter, narrowing the home team's lead. Goodnough initiated the scoring for the Scarlet Hawks with a jumper at 9:34, assisted by Marino.
Berit Rusing contributed with four successful free throws, including a pair at 2:45 that extended the lead to 34-26. Armstrong of Eureka responded by scoring two jumpers, with her second bringing them within six points at 4:04. Hart closed the quarter with a tip-in at the buzzer, cutting the Scarlet Hawks' lead to 34-30 at halftime.
The Scarlet Hawks extended their lead in the third quarter, outscoring Eureka 20-12. Rusing contributed significantly with a layup at 8:29, assisted by Goodnough.
Miabella Spica added a crucial three-pointer at 4:56, assisted by
Nerea Del Olmo Perez, increasing the home team's momentum. The quarter concluded with a jumper by Goodnough, assisted by Rusing, sealing the score at 54-42 in favor of Illinois Tech.
In a decisive fourth quarter, Illinois Tech secured a victory over Eureka with a final score of 71-58. The Scarlet Hawks maintained their lead through effective scoring in the paint, contributing 12 points in the area. Goodnough played a significant role, scoring multiple baskets, several assisted by Marino, including a key layup at the 6:40 mark to extend the lead. Despite Armstrong's efforts for Eureka, including a three-pointer early in the quarter, Illinois Tech's defensive rebounds down the stretch helped seal the win.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
Grace Goodnough
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- 22 points
- 9 field goals made
- 2 blocks
- 8 rebounds
- 4 assists
Berit Rusing
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- 12 points
- 6/6 free throws made
- 12 rebounds
- 1 block
Abigail Marino
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- 9 points
- 5 assists
- 4 rebounds
Camden Joko
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- 7 points
- 3 steals
- 1 rebound
Eureka Top Performers
Miracle Armstrong
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- 16 points
- 3 steals
- 5 rebounds
Courtney Hart
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- 11 points
- 14 rebounds
- 2 blocks
Sierra Garcia-Reisch
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- 10 points
- 2 steals
- 4 rebounds
Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech improved to 2-1 lifetime versus Eureka College
- Illinois Tech shot 41.1% from the field on 26/59 shooting; Eureka shot 33.8% on 22/65 shooting.
Up Next
Looking ahead, the Scarlet Hawks will host North Park University on Thursday, November 20, at 6 p.m. at the Keating Sports Center in another non-conference matchup.
