CARLINVILLE, Ill. – Eureka College junior center Mark Lessen (Delavan, Ill./Delavan H.S.) set new career-bests with 34 points and 18 rebounds, leading the Red Devils to an 84-62 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over Blackburn, Wednesday night in Carlinville, Ill.

Eureka (9-7, 6-2 SLIAC) gained its first advantage of the night, 9-7, on Lessen's field goal with 16:39 to play in the first half.  The basket came as part of Eureka's 47-point first half.  The Red Devils ultimately used a 39-16 run in the middle of the half and led by as many as 20 points, 43-23, after a jumper from junior guard Jordan Kindred (Chrisman, Ill./Chrisman H.S.) at the 4:36 mark of the first half.

Lessen quickly compiled his fifth double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 boards in the first half alone.  Eureka outrebounded the hosts, 26-15, in the first 20 minutes and carried a 47-34 lead into the locker room.

Blackburn (5-11, 2-5 SLIAC) started the second half with a fury, cutting its deficit down to a single point when Julian Lott connected from long range to make the score 52-51 with 13:45 left.  The EC lead was a single point during one other occasion later in the half before the Red Devils used another offensive surge to put the game away. 

A 3-pointer from junior guard Chuck Misuraca (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago H.S./Missouri Valley) with 9:36 left gave the Red Devils a three-possession cushion and sparked a 24-6 run by the visitors over the final 10 minutes of the game.  Eureka got seven points and a dunk at the 4:57 mark from Lessen during the surge.  The Red Devils' largest lead of the game proved to be the contest's final 22-point margin.

Lessen went 14-for-19 from the field in the victory.  His rebounding total marked Eureka's best effort on the glass since Josh Wagner grabbed 19 rebounds at Robert Morris-Springfield on Dec. 15, 2010.  Lessen also blocked four shots.  Junior forward Dustin Fritsch chipped in with 20 points and six boards, while Kindred dished out a game-high seven assists.  The victory was Eureka's second conference road victory in a row, the first time the Red Devils have won consecutive SLIAC games away from the Reagan Center since back-to-back wins at Blackburn and Principia late in the 2009-10 season.

Lott scored 29 in defeat for the Beavers.  The loss for Blackburn was its eight in a row.

Eureka will continue its brief two-game SLIAC road swing this Saturday with a 3 p.m. visit to Principia in Elsah, Ill.  Eureka routed the Panthers, 85-57, in the previous meeting between the two squads on Dec. 3 at the Reagan Center.