Zasada keeps Eureka basketball on a roll

Eureka College did not start the men's basketball season with a flourish, but the Red Devils certainly ended 2009 with a bang.

Thanks to McHenry East graduate Michael Zasada, one of only two seniors on the team, Eureka enjoyed a 5-0 December that gave the team loads of momentum for the new year.

"For us to go 5-0, it's really big for our confidence," said Zasada, a 6-foot-5 forward who was a first-team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference player last season. "It took us a little bit of time to jell on the court. Now, our assist to turnover ratio has completely turned around. We're sharing the ball a lot better."

The perfect December also has given NCAA Division III Eureka (7-3) a share of the lead in the SLIAC standings at 2-0 with Spalding University.

Zasada, who was chosen the SLIAC Player of the Week on Dec. 8, gave the team a major boost over its past five games, averaging 20.6 points and 9.6 rebounds in December. For the season, Zasada is averaging 18.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.22 blocked shots a game. He ranks in the top 10 in 10 different statistical categories in the SLIAC.

But playing well in December only provided Eureka with a taste of its bigger goal.

"If we don't win a conference championship, we won't feel like this season has been a success," Zasada said.

During the next month, the Red Devils face a schedule that sends them on the road for five of the next six games, including Saturday’s 77-71 victory in Missouri against Fontbonne University, which has won the SLIAC Tournament three years in a row.

The upcoming stretch of road games isn't a deterrent for the Red Devils.

"We feel like we're a better road team than home team," Zasada said.

Part of the reason for that attitude, Zasada said, is that damage to Eureka's home court from a broken water pipe at the Reagan Center on campus has caused the school to put in a temporary court.

"We used to have a big 'EC' in the middle of the court and 'Red Devils' going down the side," he said. "Now, it's just looks like a blank floor."

Bowling with NIU: Junior linebacker Alex Kube, a Cary-Grove grad, did not play Saturday for Northern Illinois University in the Huskies’ 27-3 loss to South Florida in the International Bowl in Toronto.

Kube, who starts at strongside linebacker for the Huskies (7-6), has 60 tackles and ranks third on the team with six tackles for loss. He was injured in practice last week.

Loras leader: Cary-Grove grad Mike Gleason is the only men's basketball player at D-III Loras College to start every game this season.

Gleason, a junior guard, is second on the team in scoring at 12.9 points a game and has a team-leading 26 three-pointers while shooting 46 percent from long range. Gleason also is averaging a team-best 27.6 minutes a game for the Duhawks (5-6). 

Seton Hall standouts: Prairie Ridge grad Sarah Osmun and Crystal Lake Central's Rachael Thornquist helped Seton Hall's volleyball team advance to the Big East Conference Tournament late last year for the first time since 1994.

Osmun, a junior outside hitter, led the Pirates (12-19) with 3.25 kills per set.

Thornquist, a sophomore outside hitter, finished second and third, respectively, on the team with 2.75 and 2.63 digs per set. Thornquist added 2.2 kills per set.

Barry Bottino writes a weekly column and a blog about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@hotmail.com and check out his On Campus column every Saturday in the Northwest Herald sports section.