Eutectics Suffer Tough Loss to Cougars

In their eleventh contest of the season, the Eutectic Men's Basketball team played host to the St. Xavier Cougars (8-5) from Chicago, Ill. This was the first time the two teams ever faced one another, and the Eutectics found themselves on the losing end of the 79-106 final.

The Euts made the first mark on the board just five seconds into the game with a made layup from Jas Silva off the pass from Moctar Keita but then found themselves down 6-2 after 3 consecutive failed trips down the floor. RJ Steckler closed the gap to one with a made triple at 18 minutes, but the Cougars answered with back-to-back threes to extend their lead to seven.  The Cougars established dominance from behind the arc but also challenged the Euts in the paint, finishing several layups to take a 14-point lead midway through the first.

The home team found some momentum with help from Dwight Newsome, Kyan Arrendale, and Landon Engelage, narrowing the deficit to five with seven minutes left in the half.  The teams went back and forth for the next several minutes, and the Eutectics were able to keep the Cougars within striking distance. Brady Bowers sunk a pair of free throws after a technical foul from the Cougars put him at the charity stripe. However, St. Xavier soon found their groove again, continuing their onslaught of drained threes and quick layups. The teams headed to the locker rooms with the score 51-38 in favor of SXU.  

The Cougars maintained their momentum in the second half, dropping a quick nine points before Brady Bowers finally scored to end the Euts' two-and-a-half-minute drought. The Cougars were not phased, however, and continued to pile it on, exhibiting a quick offense and a tough defense to stretch their lead to 24 with 12:40 to play.

Sean Paradise Jr. breathed a bit of life into UHSP with a three, a steal, a couple of defensive rebounds, and assists to help cut the deficit to 14 with 7:43 left to play, but that was as close as the Eutectics would get. The Cougars' lead remained insurmountable, and they finished with a strong 106-79 win.

St. Xavier's Cedric Johnson led all scoring with 21, going 3-3 from beyond the arc. Brady Bowers led the Euts with 17 points with Kyan Arrendale right behind him with 16 of his own. Sean Paradise Jr. pulled down 9 rebounds for UHSP, while Braylon Rios and RJ Steckler each had 2 blocks in the effort.

The Eutectics fall to 1-10 on the season. This was the last game for the Euts until the New Year. They open AMC play on Thursday, January 4^th when they host cross-town rival Harris-Stowe at 7:30 pm.