washington
Mathew Kirby
81
Winner Quincy QU 15-1, 5-0
71
Illinois Springfield UIS 5-8, 0-4
Winner
Quincy QU
15-1, 5-0
81
Final
71
Illinois Springfield UIS
5-8, 0-4
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Quincy QU 41 40 81
Illinois Springfield UIS 39 32 71

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Brendan Bittner

Hawks Soar Over Stars, 81-71, To Win 14th Straight

QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University men's basketball team never trailed and held off Illinois Springfield for an 81-71 Great Lakes Valley Conference win on Saturday (Jan. 7) afternoon at the TRAC in the state capital.
 
The win is the 14th straight for the Hawks (15-1, 5-0 GLVC) and sets up Pepsi Arena showdowns against No. 13 Bellarmine and No. 17 Southern Indiana next week. Quincy, which was receiving votes in last week's national coaches' poll, should also be in the top 25 when the new rankings are released on Tuesday.
 
The Hawks started fast on Saturday, blitzing the Prairie Stars (5-8, 0-4 GLVC) by scoring the first eight points of the game, including a basket by senior forward Joseph Tagarelli (Waunakee, Wis./Kirkwood CC) and a couple of 3-pointers by senior forward Evan McGaughey (Carthage, Ill./Illini West).
 
Another 3-pointer by senior guard Grant Meyer (Sellersburg, Ind./Silver Creek) stretched the lead to 11-2, but the Hawks were not able to get their lead into double digits in the first half as the Stars fought off every Quincy run.
 
The hosts cut the lead to one point on several occasions in the first half. The Hawks grew their lead back to eight points, 39-31 after a McGaughey slam off a steal by senior wing Von Washington III (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Central/Western Michigan) with four minutes left in the half.
 
The Prairie Stars tied the game on a flush by Eddie Longmeyer with 29 seconds remaining in the half before McGaughey hit on a jumper just before the break as the Hawks took a 41-39 lead into the locker room.
 
Less than four minutes into the second half, the Hawks' lead was up to nine, 52-43, after McGaughey's 3-pointer and a transition layup by senior guard Herm Senor II (Springfield, Ill./Southeast). Washington's trey with 14 minutes left gave the Hawks a 10-point lead, 55-45.
 
Quincy would go up by as many as 14 points in the second half as they kept the hosts at arm's reach. Washington's layin on a short shot clock in the final minute sealed the win.
 
The Hawks shot 59 percent (16-for-27) in the second half and 57 percent (33-for-58) overall. They also hit 39 percent (9-for-23) of their 3-pointers. Meanwhile, they held UIS to just 38 percent (12-for-32) shooting in the second half.
 
McGaughey led the Hawks with 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists while Washington scored 17 points and had three steals. Tagarelli finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists in just 20 minutes as he battled foul trouble most of the afternoon. Sophomore wing Marcus Hinton (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central/Lindenwood) was the fourth QU player in double figures with 10 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench.
 
Senior, playing in front of his hometown crowd, scored eight points, dished out seven assists and corralled four rebounds. Meyer had nine points and four boards.
 
The Hawks will return to Pepsi Arena on Thursday (Jan. 12) for a seismic showdown with No. 13 Bellarmine (12-2, 4-0 GLVC). Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
QU
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