Battlin’ Bears Outdo Euts with Third-Quarter Threes

The Eutectic women's basketball team played its first game in Chandler, Ariz., tonight, battling the 12^th-ranked Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears (8-0) of Montana to open the Cactus Classic hosted by Chandler Gilbert Community College. The Eutectics finished the night with a hard-fought loss, 79-70.

After a 32-32 tie at halftime, the Battlin' Bears went on a third-quarter rampage, hitting 13-of-16 from the floor, including 8-of-9 from the arc for a 34-point quarter to open up a 16-point insurmountable lead.

After a shaky start, the Eutectics recovered from an 8-0 deficit by exchanging two Rocky Mountain turnovers for a layup and a triple from Grace Beyer to make it 8-7 after four minutes. The Battlin' Bears maintained a slight lead throughout the rest of the first quarter, heading into the second period up 19-16.

The Eutectics took their first lead of the game in the second quarter when Beyer followed up Payten Foster's offensive putback with a made layup, giving the Purple and Gold a 24-23 advantage at 6:23. The teams traded the lead until halftime. A jump shot from Dominique Stephens gave Rocky Mountain a 32-30 edge with 45 seconds left in the half. But, two made free-throws from Beyer settled the score at a 32-32 tie heading into intermission.

The third quarter started off even, with a 3-pointer from Samantha Matthews assisted by Beyer at 5:47 maintaining the tie at 44-44. At that point, the Battlin' Bears began a barrage of 3-pointers, started off by Ky Oliver and continued by Ilian Moran, who each drained three triples in five minutes. Rocky Mountain scored 34 points to the Eutectics' respectable 18 in the quarter to take a 66-50 lead as they headed into the final 10 minutes.

The Eutectics leaned hard on Beyer in the fourth quarter, who dropped in 10 points, pulled down four rebounds, and dished off two assists to make up some ground on the Battlin' Bears. Down 76-60 with four minutes left, Karsyn Morgan's layup kicked off an eight-point run by the Euts, including threes by Elizabeth Allanach and Samantha Matthews, and a layup by Beyer to shave RMC's lead to less than 10 at 76-68. In the final minute, another layup from Morgan got the Euts within seven (77-70), but it was a close as they would come. Rocky Mountain closed out the win with two made free throws from Oliver to seal the 79-70 victory for the Battlin' Bears.

Beyer finished the game with 32 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Foster and Allanach each had 10 points, while Matthews, Morgan, and Emily Coleman put in six points apiece.

Ky Oliver led Rocky Mountain with 25 points, including seven (of 11) threes.

The Eutectics are now 4-4 heading into another challenging matchup at the Cactus Classic on Thursday, Dec. 21, when they take on No. 10-ranked Vanguard University of California (4-1) at 7 p.m. CST.