QUINCY, Ill. - The Hawks ended their two-game GLVC homestand with a 3:00 PM contest on Saturday (Dec. 9) against the Bearcats of McKendree University. Quincy took the lead at the 9:24 mark of the first half and never gave it back. Five scorers in double figures powered QU to an 80-63 winner over the Bearcats, who received votes in the latest NABC DII National Poll.

The first points of the contest came on a jumper from John Kelly III as part of a 6-2 run to open the game for the Hawks. MCK took a four-point advantage at the 13:20 mark, one of only two leads it held during the game. 

Later in the half, a four-point play from Orlando Thomas with nine and a half to play gave QU a 17-14 advantage and a lead it would hold for the remainder of the contest. Quincy led by as many as 10 in the first, but entered the locker room at halftime with a 32-26 advantage. 

MCK came out firing in the second half, knocking the advantage down to a single point just under two minutes into the second half. As the Bearcats continued to threaten throughout the midpoint of the second frame, the Hawks stayed solid, weathering the storm with the lead until opportunity struck after the third media timeout. 

Leading 56-53, Quincy went on a 24-10 run in the final eight minutes to close out a comfortable 80-63 victory. 

Zion Richardson led five Hawks in double figures, pouring in 20 points on over 50% shooting from the field and a perfect 4-4 from the charity stripe. Joining Richardson in double figures was Isaiah Foster with 15, Nate Shockey and Mason Wujek with 12 and an 11 point spark from Thomas off the bench. 

QU was out-shot by the Bearcats 47% to 45%, but held MCK to only 42 shots and 20 baskets in the contest, getting nearly 20 more shots up (60 total) and seven more made buckets (27). 

The Hawks out rebounded their opponents 32-25, led by Shockey with eight boards, followed by Richardson with seven. Foster collected nearly half of the teams assists, dishing seven of the teams 16 dimes in the contest. 

Next up for Quincy is the 2023 edition of the Hansen-Spear Funeral Home Classic, hosted by the Hawks in Pepsi Arena. Wayne State University (MI), East-West University make the trip to Quincy for a crack at the Hawks on Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 16-17). Fellow GLVC member William Jewell College will also take part in the tournament. 

QU faces off with East-West on Saturday at 3:00 PM and Wayne State on Sunday, also at 3:00 PM.