EUREKA, Ill. – On Saturday, Spalding women's basketball traveled to St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) opponent Eureka College. The Golden Eagles defeated the Red Devils, 62-52. 

SU moved to 9-10 (7-5 SLIAC), while Eureka fell to 4-14 (2-9 SLIAC) on the season.

TURNING POINT
A driving layup by Sydney Raque got the Golden Eagles on the scoreboard first. It was a back-and-forth battle until the score hit 8-8. Ma'Kaylia Lute hit a three-pointer to provide Spalding some momentum. This led to an 8-0 run with baskets by Lute, Raque, and a three-pointer by Maelyn Ridener. SU kept the momentum and the lead going into the second quarter, 26-18.

SU started the second quarter well, as Isis Rodgers hit back-to-back mid-range jumpers, keeping Spalding's lead comfortable for most of the quarter. A layup by Zaneiya Batiste gives SU a seven-point lead, 32-25. The Red Devils closed the gap before the half, but SU took the lead into the half, 33-29.

It was a slow start coming out of the half for the Golden Eagles as Eureka made it into a tie ball game, 36-36. Raque and Ridener provided back-to-back baskets for SU as the Golden Eagles took control of the game, 45-38. Spalding held strong to end the third quarter with the lead, 48-44. 

The Golden Eagles came out of the fourth quarter strong, knowing they needed this big SLIAC win. A jumper by Lute got Spalding to score first, giving SU a comfortable lead. The cushion for the Golden Eagles got bigger as their defense held strong to secure the victory, 62-53.

GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES

• Maelyn Ridener led the game in scoring with 17 points.
• Zaneiya Batiste had a total of 19 rebounds.
• Spalding outrebounded Eureka, 54-40. 
• The defense held strong as the Golden Eagles got 11 steals.

NEXT FOR SPALDING
The Golden Eagles will host SLIAC opponent Webster University on Wednesday, January 31st. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.