In the final game of the regular season, the Eureka Lady Tornadoes traveled to face the Cherryvale Chargers with an outright league championship on the line. Cherryvale entered the night with one league loss, while Eureka sat undefeated at 6-0 in league play.
The Chargers struck first, taking an early 5-2 lead before both offenses hit a lull. Still looking to bounce back from Tuesday’s tough shooting performance, the Lady Tornadoes showed grit and composure, grinding their way to a 9-6 lead by the end of the first quarter.
In the second stanza, Brenna Rucker went into attack mode. She scored on a strong drive and then repeatedly put pressure on the defense, earning six trips to the free throw line and calmly knocking down all six attempts. Arabella Shepherd added a three-pointer, and Eureka carried a 20-9 advantage into halftime.
The Lady Tornadoes appeared to seize full control early in the third quarter when Elle Coulter drilled a three-pointer off a Rucker assist to extend the lead to 23-9. However, momentum shifted quickly when Rucker picked up her fourth foul and was forced to the bench.
With Eureka’s leading scorer sidelined, Cherryvale gained confidence and chipped away at the deficit. The Chargers stormed back, and by the time Rucker returned, the lead had shrunk to 23-19. Cherryvale dominated the third quarter, outscoring Eureka 15-5 to completely swing the game’s energy.
In the fourth quarter, Cherryvale took the lead on a free throw and never relinquished it. The Chargers stretched the margin to 11 before Eureka mounted one final push, trimming the deficit to four points. But the Lady Tornadoes could get no closer, falling for the second straight game.
Another difficult shooting night proved costly, as Eureka finished 4-of-22 from beyond the arc. Rucker led the Lady Tornadoes with 12 points. Coulter added 7, while Britta Mongeau and Shepherd each scored 5. Alaina Westerman and Hannah Perrier contributed 2 each, and Milly Koop added 1.
Despite the setback, the Lady Tornadoes share the league title and have now won or shared the championship for nine consecutive seasons.
Eureka closed the regular season at 19-2 and will open postseason play on Thursday, Feb. 26, hosting Oxford (#15, 5-16) in first-round action. The winner will advance to semifinal action on Tuesday, March 3 and will face the winner of the Chase County (#7, 11-11) and Humboldt (#10, 8-15) game.
