In a highly anticipated non-league matchup Monday night, the Eureka Lady Tornadoes, ranked No. 1 in Class 2A, traveled to Olpe to face the No. 4 ranked Olpe Eagles of Class 1A.
Olpe, fresh off a league championship, came out strong and jumped to an early 4–0 lead. Eureka quickly answered when junior Arabella Shepherd knocked down a three-pointer from the top of the key off a Britta Mongeau assist to get the Lady Tornadoes on the board. The teams traded baskets throughout the opening quarter, with Eureka holding a slim 15–14 lead after one.
The Lady Tornadoes began to take control in the second quarter. Mongeau set up Brenna Rucker for a three-pointer early in the period, a basket that pushed Rucker past the 1,000-point mark for her career. Moments later, Eureka’s transition offense clicked when Rucker found Elle Coulter sprinting the lane for an easy layup, prompting an Olpe timeout.
The timeout did little to slow Eureka’s momentum. The Lady Tornadoes rattled off a 10–0 run, highlighted by three-pointers from Coulter and Shepherd and two strong finishes by Rucker, before Olpe finally stopped the run at the free-throw line. Eureka outscored the home team 18–7 in the quarter to take a 33–21 lead into halftime.
Olpe showed why it entered the game on a 12--game winning streak, coming out of the locker room with increased defensive pressure. The Eagles forced an early steal, but Shepherd answered right back with a steal of her own and a layup. Olpe responded with two quick three-pointers and tightened up defensively, outscoring Eureka 8-10 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 41–31 heading into the final period.
The fourth quarter opened with nearly three scoreless minutes before Olpe connected on a three-pointer. From there, Rucker took over, scoring 10 points in the quarter to help Eureka pull away for a 54–42 victory.
Rucker led all scorers with 29 points while also recording 10 rebounds, three assists, and seven steals. Coulter and Shepherd each added eight points, with Shepherd also dishing out three assists. Lydia Mason knocked down two three-pointers for six points, Hannah Perrier scored two points, and Alaina Westerman added one.
