The Eureka Lady Tornadoes turned in an impressive pair of league performances, defending their home floor against Caney Valley before dominating Fredonia on back-to-back nights. Behind strong defensive pressure and balanced scoring, Eureka controlled the tempo in both contests, rolling to convincing victories and continuing to build momentum as league play moves forward.
Eureka vs Caney
The Eureka Lady Tornadoes hosted the Caney Valley Pups in a league contest and came out strong on their home floor on Thursday, Jan. 29. Eureka opened the game with a 9-0 run in the first two minutes, starting with two free throws from Alaina Westerman, followed by a great pass from Britta Mongeau to Elle Coulter for a basket. Brenna Rucker added the next five points as Eureka jumped out early. The offense slowed slightly, but the Lady Tornadoes still held a 15-8 lead after one quarter.
Both teams scored 12 points in the second quarter, with Arabella Shepherd leading Eureka with five points, as the Lady Tornadoes took a 27-20 lead into halftime.
Caney Valley struck first in the second half on a fast break, but Rucker quickly took control, scoring the next nine points for Eureka. The Lady Tornadoes outscored the Pups 15-9 in the third quarter to build momentum heading into the final period.
Eureka exploded from behind the arc in the fourth quarter, as Rucker, Lydia Mason, and Shepherd combined to knock down four three-pointers, allowing the Lady Tornadoes to pull away for a 61-40 victory. Eureka outscored Caney 19-9 in the quarter.
Rucker led all scorers with 24 points and also paced the team with five rebounds and five assists. Mason finished with 11 points, Shepherd added eight, Coulter scored six, Mongeau had four points and five assists, Hannah Perrier finished with four, and Sydney Lindamood and Westerman each added two points.
Eureka vs Fredonia
The Eureka Lady Tornadoes faced the Fredonia Yellowjackets on backto- back nights in league play, marking the second meeting between the two teams this season. Eureka had taken the first contest 73–10, but Fredonia came ready to compete and opened the scoring in the rematch.
Mongeau quickly answered with a three-pointer to put Eureka on the board, and from there the Lady Tornadoes’ pressure defense took control. Eureka forced turnovers that led to easy baskets, rolling off a 17-2 run over the next six minutes to seize momentum, the first quarter ended 20-4.
In the second quarter, Eureka’s defense was dominant, holding Fredonia scoreless while the offense poured in 18 points to build a commanding 38-4 halftime lead.
The onslaught continued in the second half as the Lady Tornadoes cruised to a 63-10 league victory. Eight players scored in the contest, led by Rucker with 24 points. Mongeau added 11 points, Mason finished with seven, Shepherd scored six, Lindamood had five, Coulter and Perrier each added four, and Westerman chipped in two. Rucker also recorded a double-double with 14 rebounds, while adding five assists and five steals. Shepherd finished with four assists, and Perrier led the team on the boards with six rebounds.
Up Next
Eureka was back in action Monday as they traveled to Olpe, before returning home to host Chase County on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The Lady Tornadoes will then wrap up the week on the road at Neodesha on Friday, Feb. 6.
