EUREKA, Ill. – Eureka College junior guard Jordan Kindred (Chrisman, Ill./Chrisman H.S.) scored 17 points and distributed a career-high 10 assists to move into sixth place on Eureka's all-time list, driving the Red Devils to an 86-71 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win over Fontbonne, Saturday afternoon at the Reagan Center.  Senior guard Austin Nicholas (Brownsburg, Ind./Manitou Springs H.S./Lamar) started and scored 14 points in his final regular season home game.

Eureka (15-8, 11-3 SLIAC) scored the first seven points of the game before opening up a 14-2 cushion on a layup from Nicholas with 13:51 left in the first half.  The Griffins quickly trimmed their deficit to 18-11 at the 11:28 mark, but two free throws from junior forward Dustin Fritsch (Sterling, Ill./Sterling H.S./Sauk Valley) regained the double-digit advantage for the Red Devils for the remainder of the half.  The Red Devils' lead ballooned to as many as 16 points in the first half (38-22) after a 3-point play by junior center Mark Lessen (Delavan, Ill./Delavan H.S.).  The Red Devils led at halftime, 47-34.

Fontbonne (3-19, 2-12 SLIAC) managed to slowly chip away at its deficit throughout the second half, and Greg Gentry's two free throws with 6:01 to play cut Fontbonne's deficit to six points (69-63) for the first time since the 16:25 mark of the first half.  Fritsch scored on the ensuing Eureka possession, igniting a 10-0 run by the hosts over the next 2:20 to put the game away.  Eureka's lead swelled to 17 points on two different occasions in the final three minutes, as Nicholas's 3-pointer gave the hosts an 82-65 lead with 2:59 remaining.

Kindred handed out nine of his 10 assists in the first half and ended the game with 306 career assists to move past Tom Dooley (1985-87) for sixth place on Eureka's all-time assist list.  Kindred's 2011-12 season assist total currently sits at 126, the 10th-most assists in single-season Eureka men's basketball history.

Fritsch scored a game-high 21 points in the victory, as all five Eureka starters scored in double-figures for the third time this season.  Lessen had 15 points and tied a career-high with five blocked shots, and junior guard Rian Nailor (Rock Falls, Ill./Rock Falls H.S./Sauk Valley) chipped in with 10 points.

Gentry came off the bench to lead the Griffins with 16 points.  Fontbonne, which dropped its seventh consecutive game, held a slim 37-34 advantage on the boards.

Saturday's victory moved the Red Devils into first place in the SLIAC standings.  The Red Devils' 11-3 conference record is currently 0.5 games better than second-place Webster (10-3).  Eureka will have a full week away from game competition before visiting Westminster next Saturday at 7 p.m. in Fulton, Mo.