COLUMBUS, Miss. – Five players finished with double-digit scoring totals to pace the Mississippi University for Women to a 90-78 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) win over Eureka College at Pohl Gym. The Owls' (5-7, 1-4 SLAIC) victory over the Red Devils (3-10, 1-5 SLIAC) was also the programs' first league win in its brief program history, after joining the SLIAC in 2023-24.
 
The win for The W was made even more special in that the team was taking on the dangerous Eureka squad without the services of two of its starters (Dariun Doss had to sit out after being ejected last Thursday versus Blackburn and Josh Dukes was nursing a sore ankle). To say the Owls were facing an uphill battle might be an understatement, especially when part of that "uphill" was squaring off versus the Red Devils' reigning SLIAC Player of the Year in 6-foot-10-inch center Cody Baer.
 
The W's tandem of senior Brye Hopkins and junior Cam Smith combined to make Baer's afternoon, well, a bear! Coming in averaging 21.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, the Hopkins-Smith duo kept Baer far below his season averages, as the Eureka senior was held to a pedestrian 12 points and six rebounds.
 
"We have a lot of respect for their program and their reigning SLIAC Player of the Year," MUW Head Coach Dean Burrows said. "With that said, I felt that Brye and Cam took that personal and their numbers on the day shows just that."
 
On the offensive end, Smith had a team-leading 23 points, after making 8-of-10 shots from the field (including a pair of treys). Smith had thee r4ebounds and four assists, as well.
 
Hopkins was 8-of-11 shooting and finished with 19 points. Hopkins grabbed four boards, had a pair of assists, and made two steals for his ledger versus EC.
 
Guard Chris Evans added 17 points to the Owls' tally sheet, going 6-for-12 shooting and draining three from long range. Evans also had a game-high totals of seven rebounds and five assists.
 
Michael Smith Jr. and Andrew Shepherd had 12 and 10 points, respectively, to round out the quintet of double-figure scorers for MUW. Smith Jr. pulled down six caroms, as well.
 
Tyson Smithey's nine points capped The W scoring.
 
The Owls shot a season-high 66 percent from the floor (35-53) as a team. MUW never trailed on the scoreboard.
 
 "We did a great job in the first half valuing the ball, which has been a daily focus and emphasis of ours, but had yet to find its way to gameday consistently for us to date," Burrows reflected. "We moved the ball better than we have all year today, made free throws and our guards stepped up after a rough one the other night."
 
The W will look to build on its win next Thursday (Jan. 11/6:30 p.m. CT) in a SLIAC bout at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky.