Talmadge's Career-High Powers Beavers to 79-76 Victory at Eureka

EUREKA, IL -- Senior Izayah Talmadge scored a career-high 26 points to help the Blackburn College Men's Basketball Team defeat St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival Eureka College 79-76 in conference action Wednesday night. 

Talmadge finished the game 11-17 from the field with four free throws, and also added six rebounds, three assists and two steals. His 26 points were not only a career-high but also marks the fourth time he scored 20 or more points during his career at Blackburn. Freshman Odis Grissom added 15 points while sophomore Cameron Johnson chipped in with 12. Sophomore Darius Duff tallied a game-best 11 rebounds while notching nine points.

The Beavers would take two early five-point leads but the Red Devils answered both times as the teams stayed close through the first 10 minutes, seeing the score tied at 19-19 at the 9:51 mark of the first half. The teams continued to trade points and leads until the hosts managed to pull ahead 38-30 with two minutes to go in the half, but a Duff jumper with 28 seconds left sent the game to halftime with Eureka leading 38-32. 

Blackburn started to chip away at the deficit and eventually captured back the lead, 47-46 just under five minutes into the final half off a Johnson layup. The two teams would continue to trade baskets and leads once again with neither team getting more than a four-point lead. With the game tied at 69-69 with two minutes left, Talmadge made a layup but Eureka answered with an and-one play to take a 72-71 lead with 1:44 remainining. Talmadge responded with another layup but the hosts followed with a three to get a 75-73 lead with 58 seconds left on the clock. 

With Eureka having the ball and the lead with 30 seconds to go in the game, Talmadge stole the ball then assisted on a Johnson three to give Blackburn a 76-75 advantage with 23 seconds to go. Johnson then rebounded a Red Devil miss and Talmadge sank a free throw, moving Blackburn to a 77-75 lead with 15 seconds left. Eureka narrowed it to 77-76 with a free throw, but Duff sealed the win with two free throws to give the Beavers the 79-76 victory. 

Blackburn improved to 4-5 on the season and 3-1 in SLIAC play while Eureka fell to 3-6 overall and 1-3 in league action. The Beavers next head to NCAA Division I opponent Eastern Illinois University Sunday and return home to take on Loras College Wednesday night, December 20.