In the second Tri-Valley League match-up of the season, the Eureka Lady Tornadoes faced the Fredonia Yellowjackets at home on Jan. 26. Laynie Winfrey and Brenna Rucker put on quite the show, both scoring 20 plus points and making themselves unstoppable from behind the arc and within the paint. The 58-39 win over the Yellowjackets delivered the Lady Tornadoes their 8th win of the season, making them 8-4.
Eureka was quick to assert their dominance, winning the tip and earning the first two points of the game off of an inside bucket from junior Winfrey. The basket kick-started a 15-0 run by the Tornadoes. An additional 9 points by Winfrey- all of which were scored behind the arc- and field goals by sophomores Rucker and Alaina Westerman contributed to the run. The Yellowjackets finally managed to put themselves on the board with a jump shot inside the lane.
Sophomore Britta Mongeau was quick to match it with a corner trey of her own, assisted by Winfrey. The teams went on to score a couple more times each before the buzzer sounded, Eureka winning 20-6 by the end of the first 8 minutes of play.
The Tornadoes entered a bit of a dry spell in the second quarter. The Yellowjackets, however, used the second quarter to shorten the gap, outscoring Eureka 8-12. Two-point baskets from Rucker, Mongeau, and Winfrey, as well as free throws from freshman Elle Coulter and Mongeau wrapped up Eureka’s scoring column for the first half.
The first points of the second half belonged to the Tornadoes. In the first possession of the game, Rucker forced a jump ball, putting Eureka on offense. Mongeau was then able to find Winfrey inside for two. Fredonia managed to score immediately after on a shot from three point land, their first of the game. The Tornadoes slipped in another 8-0 run on the Yellowjackets with three-point baskets from Winfrey and Mongeau and a two-pointer from Rucker. Eureka and Fredonia continued trading baskets back and forth throughout the quarter. Rucker’s 9 points in the third helped to stretch the gap back out between Eureka and their opponent, 46-29.
The final eight minutes were very competitive, both teams battling hard until the last second. The Tornadoes had the last laugh after Winfrey knocked down three free throws, wrapping up scoring for both Fredonia and Eureka. The fourth quarter buzzer sounded a Tornado victory, 58-39.
Stat and Scoring Leaders: POINTS: Winfrey 21, Rucker 20, Mongeau 13, and Westerman and-Coulter 2. REBOUNDS: Rucker 9, Westerman 5, Winfrey and Mongeau 4, and Ptacek and Lydia Mason 2. ASSISTS: Winfrey 6, Rucker 5 and Mongeau 3. STEALS: Winfrey 6 and Rucker 3.
Up Next
On Tuesday, Jan. 30, the Lady Tornadoes were scheduled to host the Humboldt Cubs. Eureka’s next game will be Friday, Feb. 2 when they face the Neodesha Bluestreaks on the road.
