Men's Basketball 12/19/2014 10:05:00 PM Brendan Bittner

QU Subway Holiday Tournament Tips Off Saturday

Tournament Schedule
Saturday, Dec. 20
3:00 p.m. - Kentucky Wesleyan (8-3) vs. Hillsdale (5-1)
5:15 p.m. - Tiffin (3-6) vs. Quincy (5-4)

Sunday, Dec. 21
3:00 p.m. - Consolation game
5:15 p.m. - Championship game

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FULL GAME NOTES IN PDF FORMAT

SUBWAY HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT RETURNS: The QU Subway Holiday Tournament returns to Pepsi Arena on Saturday and Sunday as the Hawks welcome three quality, in-region teams to the Tri-States. Kentucky Wesleyan and Tiffin are playing in the event for the first time, while Hillsdale returns for the third time. The Chargers claimed the titles in 2011 and 2013. The Hawks have not won the Holiday Tournament (or Classic) since 2010 when it won or shared a title for the fourth straight time. The event alternates between a classic and a tournament each year, depending on whether another GLVC school has been invited.

TRIPLE DIGITS: The Hawks trounced Robert Morris-Springfield in the second half on Tuesday on their way to a 101-68 win at Pepsi Arena. Quincy outscored the Eagles, 56-27, in the final 20 minutes for the win. Five players scored in double figures led by 18 points from redshirt-sophomore Evan McGaughey (Carthage, Ill./Illini West).

UP NEXT: The Hawks have their NCAA mandated off-period Dec. 22-28 during which they cannot practice or play. They return to the floor for an exhibition against Division I Illinois State on Dec. 29 in Normal.

BENCH BUNCH: The QU reserves have done a majority of the scoring for the Hawks over the last four games, averaging 50.3 points per game in that stretch. The bench has scored 57.8 percent (201-of-341) of the Hawks' points over the last four games and are outscoring the opponents 201-71. A lot of the damage has come from redshirt-sophomore forward Scottie Bruxvoort (Mitchellville, Iowa/Prairie City Monroe), who has scored in double figures in all four of those games and is the Hawks' leading scorer for the season (13.3 points per game). Bruxvoort is shooting 68.8 percent (33-48) from the field and 82.4 percent (14-17) from the line with at least four rebounds in all six of his games played.

SAME STARTING 5: Head coach Marty Bell has employed the same starting lineup in all nine of his team's games this season. It is a group that includes three juniors and two sophomores. The four seniors on the squad all come of the bench for Quincy, providing stability to the second unit.

BLOCK PARTY: Last season, the Hawks ranked third in the GLVC in blocked shots and that success at defending the rim has carried over to this season. Quincy leads the conference in blocks (4.33 per game) and has blocked at least four shots in six games. Junior forward Dalton Hoover (Pittsfield, Ill.) leads the team with 14 blocks, while McGaughey has 12 blocked shots. That duo combined for five blocks in Tuesday's win over RMU-Springfield.

FREE THROW STRUGGLES: One area where the Hawks have struggled this season is at the line. QU is shooting just 67.4 percent (155-230) from the stripe, ranking 15th in the GLVC. Last season, the Hawks led the conference and set a school record by shooting 76 percent. They were helped by since-graduated Chris Babbitt, who shot 87.6 percent from the line in 2013-14.

KEEP THE BALANCE: Offensively, the Hawks have shown incredible balance with seven players averaging at least seven points per game. Four players average in double figures, including Bruxvoort, McGaughey and two junior newcomers Thomas Jackson (Louisville, Ky./Cincinnati State) and Godson Eneogwe (Chicago, Ill./Illinois Central). In five games the Hawks have had at least four players score in double figures. They are 3-0 when five players score at least 10 points.

NEWCOMERS FIT: Jackson and Eneogwe joined the team this season as junior transfers and both have made significant impacts in their first seasons as Hawks. Jackson has taken on the starting point guard role and is averaging 10.6 points and 3.4 assists per game. He ranks seventh in the conference with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Louisville, Ky. native has turned the ball over just six times in the last seven games after nine miscues in the first two games of the year. Eneogwe is averaging 10.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game and shown tremendous leaping ability at the rim and a display of long-distance shooting range in his first nine games. The 6-foot-6 wing leads the Hawks with 11 3-pointers and is shooting 42.3 percent (11-26) from long range.

POUNDING THE GLASS: The Hawks have been all over the boards in their last four games, out-rebounding their opponents by an average of 17.5. In their first five games, Quincy out-rebounded its opponents just one time. In Tuesday's win over RMU-Springfield, the Hawks won the battle on the glass 56-25 for a plus-31 margin. Quincy is 4-1 on the season when it out-rebounds its opponents – the only loss coming to Truman State on Dec. 6. Six players average at least three rebounds per game, led by McGaughey, who pulls down 5.9 boards per game. Bruxvoort averages 5.2 rebounds in just 17.3 minutes per game.

CLOSE & LATE: The Hawks have played five Division II opponents so far this season and four of those games have been decided by one possession or gone to overtime. QU defeated Ferris State, 109-107, in triple overtime in the season opener. The Hawks have narrow defeats to Grand Valley State (69-67) and Lindenwood (74-73) and fell in overtime to defending national champion Central Missouri, 90-84.

HOLIDAY TOURNEY HISTORY: The QU Subway Tournament is in its 15th consecutive year in its current run, though the tournament dates back decades as one of the premier small college showcases in the nation. In its current run, the Hawks have won or shared the title six times, but have been without the trophy since 2010 when it defeated Arkansas-Fort Smith and Missouri-St. Louis. The Hawks have never gone winless in the Holiday Tournament. Hillsdale is the only other multiple-time winner, taking home the trophy in their only two appearances – 2011 and 2013.

THREE EXTRA FRAMES: When the Hawks won their triple-OT affair against Ferris State, it was QU's first time going three overtimes since losing to Saint Joseph's, 104-103, in the NCAA Tournament regional final in Owensboro, Ky. in 2010. The Hawks went overtime just once in 2013-14, falling to then-defending national champion Drury, 92-87, at Pepsi Arena.

GLVC STRONG: It's a trend that's never really gone anywhere and it is continuing in 2014-15: The GLVC is one of the premier basketball conferences in the country. Three teams are ranked in the top 12. This is the first time the GLVC has had three teams ranked in the top 12 nationally since Jan. 21, 2014. The top seven teams in the GLVC East have combined for just seven nonconference losses. In the West, four teams have two or fewer losses. Sixteen NCAA Division II programs remain unbeaten on the season and Indianapolis and UMSL are among the elite group. The Greyhounds sit 8-0 on the season, while the Tritons are also off to an 8-0 start -- their best open to the season in school history.

SHOOTING SUCCESS: When looking at the 24 NCAA Division II conferences nationwide, the GLVC ranks first in the country in field goal percentage. From top to bottom, GLVC teams have combined for a 48.18 field goal percentage, which ranks better than second-place Gulf South Conference at 47.55. The hot shooting has also yielded a scoring average of 81.17 points per game, which ranks second nationally just behind the Lone Star Conference's percentage of 81.38. Additionally, the GLVC ranks fourth nationally in three-point percentage at 37.31, behind the Pacific West (38.52), MIAA (38.32) and South Atlantic (37.63).

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Players Mentioned

#4 Chris Babbitt: G; 6' 4"; Senior

#5 Scottie Bruxvoort: G/F; 6' 6"; Redshirt Sophomore

#40 Dalton Hoover: F/C; 6' 7"; Junior

#42 Evan McGaughey: G/F; 6' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore

#4 Thomas Jackson: G; 6' 0"; Junior

#24 Godson Eneogwe: G/F; 6' 6"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#4 Chris Babbitt
: 6' 4"; Senior
: G

#5 Scottie Bruxvoort
: 6' 6"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G/F

#40 Dalton Hoover
: 6' 7"; Junior
: F/C

#42 Evan McGaughey
: 6' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G/F

#4 Thomas Jackson
: 6' 0"; Junior
: G

#24 Godson Eneogwe
: 6' 6"; Junior
: G/F