Box Score ELSAH, Ill. – This afternoon the Principia College women's basketball team started off their second round of conference match-ups by hosting the Eureka College Red Devils. The Devils had won the first meeting back in December, so Principia was ready to even the score. The first quarter was a back and forth affair, with the two teams trading the lead and neither squad able to gain a clear advantage. All fourteen of the Panther's first quarter points came from inside, with senior captain
Kara Johnson and freshman center
Sophia Hathaway trading turns on the offensive end. Some early foul trouble though sent Hathaway to the bench, and the Panthers finished up the quarter down 14-17. In the second quarter the Panthers began to struggle defensively, giving the Red Devils some momentum when a Panther guard fouled Eureka's top shooter Emily Camden who completed the four point play. However, Hathaway and Johnson continued their offensive dominance, scoring twelve of Principia's 14 second quarter points. Unfortunately the defensive lapses continued, and Eureka headed into the locker room at half time with a 12 point lead, up 41-29.
Despite scoring the first bucket of the 3
rd quarter (yet another basket from Johnson), the Panthers proceeded to give up back-to-back three pointers to Eureka and then committed a foul which sent a Red Devil to the line. Eureka's lead quickly grew to twenty points and the Panthers, unable to refocus defensively, found themselves in a hole they were unable to climb out of. Eventually cutting back into the Eureka lead with around four minutes to play, the Panthers were able to cut the deficit to 13 before the final buzzer. But in the end the Red Devils completed the season sweep with a 65-52 victory. Johnson and Hathaway were the only Panthers in double-digits, scoring 21 and 20 respectively. Johnson also had a team high 10 rebounds.
The Panthers play next this coming Tuesday, January 26
th in St. Louis versus conference opponent Webster University. Tip-off is set for 6:00 pm.
