QUINCY, Ill. – Redshirt-junior forward Evan McGaughey (Carthage, Ill./Illini West) scored a career-high 35 points and scored his 1,000^th career point to lead the Quincy University men's basketball team to an 89-80 win over William Jewell on Saturday (Feb. 20) afternoon in Liberty, Mo.
 
McGaughey entered the game with 965 career points and ended the contest exactly on the 1,000-point mark as he posted an outstanding offensive effort. The 6-foot-8 forward shot 11-for-14 from the field and 12-for-15 from the line. He also collected nine rebounds, had two assists and two steals.
 
The Hawks (18-8, 12-5 GLVC) remain one game behind Drury (13-4 GLVC) in the GLVC West standings. With a win against Truman on Thursday and a DU loss to Missouri S&T, the Hawks could claim a first-round bye in the GLVC Tournament by virtue of a tiebreaker (divisional record) with the Panthers.
 
While the Hawks never trailed on Saturday, they also never really worked up a comfortable second half lead until the final minutes as William Jewell (8-17, 3-14 GLVC) remained within arm's reach.
 
Quincy led by as many as 10 points in the first half, including a 30-20 lead with 4:25 left until halftime. The Cardinals used a 15-8 run to close the period, knocking down threes on their last three possesssions, to cut the QU lead to 38-35 at the break.
 
William Jewell tied the game on two separate occasions early in the second half, but McGaughey scored seven straight points by himself to give the Hawks a 52-45 lead. He capped the run with a dunk and then a three-point play.
 
The Cardinals still would not go away, trimming the lead back to three points three different times, but the Hawks responded to each run.
 
The Hawks finally got the lead back to double digits on a 7-0 run started by a triple by senior guard Jordan Wilson (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central). McGaughey finished the burst with four points.
 
Again William Jewell cut it to six, but the Hawks hit a enough of their free throws down the stretch to maintain a two-possession lead.
 
Outside of McGaughey's career game, the Hawks had two other players in double figures. Junior forward Joseph Tagarelli (Bayside, Wis./Waunakee/Kirkwood CC) finished with 12 points and six rebounds and senior guard Nate Des Jardins (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods) added a dozen off the bench.
 
Senior wing Godson Eneogwe (Chicago, Ill./Maine West/Illinois Central) scored nine points, corralled five boards and had three steals. Junior guard Herm Senor II (Springfield, Ill./Southeast) had eight points and four assists and Wilson added eight points.
 
The Hawks committed just eight turnovers in the game, their second straight keeping that figure in single digits. They had just five at Rockhurst on Thursday. QU turned 15 William Jewell turnovers into 25 points.
 
Darius Tomlin paced the Cards with 29 points on 9-for-18 shooting.
 
The Hawks close the regular season on Thursday (Feb. 25) at 7:30 p.m. when they play host to Truman (19-8, 11-6 GLVC) in a crucial GLVC matchup. The Bulldogs defeated Rockhurst on Saturday, 84-74.