Euts Disappointed on the Road

In a disappointing outing on the road, the UHSP Eutectics fell short against the Hannibal-LaGrange Trojans (5-11, 2-5 AMC), succumbing to a 71-60 defeat.

It looked promising for the Eutectics, as they took a quick lead with a Jas Suvalija three off an assist by Ahian Barnett, but the Trojans answered back with their own triple just seconds later to tie it up. Hannibal's defense put pressure on the Euts, forcing several turnovers and missed opportunities, while their offense extended the lead to 9-3 before Landon Engelage ended the 5-minute Eutectic scoring drought. Luck was not on UHSP's side, as it would take almost four more minutes before they would score again, realizing a ten-point deficit with 10:13 left in the first half.

Despite the rough start, a pair of buckets from Brady Bowers and a three from RJ Steckler cut the deficit in half, and the Purple and Gold were within striking distance, especially as the Trojans found themselves on the wrong side of too many scoreless trips down the floor. With 3:57 left in the half, Barnett drained a shot from beyond the arc to take a 24-23 lead, UHSP's first of the game.  The teams battled it out over the next several minutes and went to the locker room with HLGU on top 35-30.

Buckets from Moctar Keita and Ahian Barnett kept the score close, but a couple more Eutectic turnovers and missed layups gave the Trojans the opportunity they needed to regain control. They extended their lead to 11, forcing a UHSP timeout. The Euts showed some confidence out of the huddle, scoring a pair of buckets, one off a forced turnover, and holding Hannibal scoreless for the next several minutes. The effort, while commendable, wasn't enough to overcome the HLGU lead and the struggles that plagued UHSP throughout the game. The Trojans capitalized on the Euts' mistakes, converting 18 turnovers into crucial points that further widened the gap on the scoreboard and led to a 71-60 win for the Trojans.  

Brady Bowers led the Eutectics with 13 points with seven others contributing, including nine from Engelage, eight from Barnett, seven each from Dwight Newsome and RJ Steckler, six from Jas Silva and Sean Paradise Jr., and four from Moctar Keita.

Janssen Flotow led the Trojans with twenty.

With the loss. the Eutectics fall to 1-18 overall and 0-7 in conference play. They start the second half of their AMC games on Thursday, February 1^st at Harris-Stowe (5-14, 2-3 AMC) at 7:30 pm.