The longest losing streak in college basketball ended when the St. Louis College of Pharmacy (STLCOP) Eutectics won their first game since November 2014 with a stunning 77-66 victory over Lindenwood University-Belleville.
The Eutectics snapped a 108-game losing streak with their first win since defeating the Preachers of Concordia Seminary in the first game of the 2014 season.
The Eutectics secured their second win of the season with a 90-85 victory over Lincoln Christian University. The STLCOP Eutectics are now 2-11 this season.
The 100+ Streak
STLCOP ended last season with exactly 100 losses. Their streak prompted a snarky piece from Deadspin, but otherwise, their feat went largely unnoticed as a NAIA school. Caltech, a Division III school, holds the record in college basketball with 207 consecutive losses from 1996 to 2007.
In early November, the Eutectics commenced the new season with close shave — a gut-wrenching two-point loss to Central Christian College. The loses quickly piled up. With the team 0-6, the losing streak did not show any signs of letting up.
With an emphasis on academics first, STLCOP instilled a “let’s have fun” philosophy for their basketball program. The school has an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students. The previous coach allowed players to skip practice to study for exams, attend labs, or work as pharmacy techs in nearby pharmacies. It was not uncommon for only three players to show up for practice.
5:30 AM Hoops
STLCOP head coach Danny Brown is no stranger to collegiate ball in St. Louis. He played for the legendary coach Rick Majerus at St. Louis University. Brown had a short stint playing pro ball in Europe before an injury prematurely ended his career. He returned home to St. Louis and coached as an assistant at his alma mater.
Brown’s wife informed him about a coaching vacancy at STLCOP, where she pursued her pharmacy degree. STLCOP’s former coach quit early in the 2016 season due to his inability to handle the pressure of the losing streak. Brown stepped in with a specific goal in mind – end the streak.
Even though he lost every game in his first two seasons, the daunting streak did not deter Brown. The determined head coach focused on recruiting stronger players, even though he knew he could not compete with top schools like Duke, or secure five-star talent like James Wiseman.
STLCOP constructed a new gymnasium, which was a vast upgrade from the previous tiny space otherwise known as “The Pillbox.” With a new gym and better players, Brown sought to establish a stronger basketball culture. He installed 5:30 AM practices to avoid scheduling conflicts with students. He knew they were smart and hard workers, but he was tasked with shaping them into a real team. Brown’s tallest player is only 6-foot-8 and his point guard, freshman Trevyn Dugar, is only 5-foot-9.
Two Wins
The losing streak finally ended one week after Thanksgiving with a home win against Lindenwood University-Belleville. Located 17 miles east of St. Louis in Illinois, Belleville is most famous for being the hometown of musician Jeff Tweedy of Wilco and Uncle Tupelo fame.
Freshman guard RJ Wright, from nearby Webster Groves, Missouri, led all scorers with 27 points. He dropped 20 of them in the second half, including a rim-rocking dunk to seal the victory. Seconds after their 77-66 win over Lindenwood-Belleville, students rushed the court in a raucous celebration.
“It’s an amazing feeling to see the guys get the results that they deserve,” said a beaming coach Danny Brown. “They competed. They earned everything tonight. It’s been a long time coming.”
The Eutectics followed up their win with a disappointing 24-point loss on the road at Harris-Stowe State University. The Eutectics returned home to host Lincoln Christian University hoping they could avoid the start of another losing streak. However, for a second home game in a row, STLCOP treated their fans to consecutive victories. The Eutectics edged out LCU 90-85 and improved to 2-9 on the season.
Future Pharmacists of America
Founded in 1846, STLCOP is the oldest pharmacy operating west of the Mississippi River and the third-oldest pharmacy school in America. Graduates typically earn starting salaries of $125,000 as a first-year pharmacist.
STLCOP competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). They were previously a Division II school, but migrated to Division I four seasons ago. Their mascot is Mortamer “Morty” McPestle, who wears a white lab coat.
STLCOP previously scheduled easy games early in the season against seminaries and other pharmacy schools. However, ever since moving to Division I, the Eutectics became the easy game for their more-talented opponents.
Overall through 13 games, the STLCOP Eutectics are 2-11 with a 1-6 conference record in the American Midwest Conference.
