Findlay, Ohio. - In a hard-fought contest at the GLVC/GMAC Crossover hosted at the University of Findlay, the Quincy University's men's basketball team got off to a hot start, but wasn't able to fend off a 12-0 Yellow Jackets run down the stretch in a 77-66 defeat at the hands of Cedarville University.
The Hawks started strong, racing to an early 9-0 lead behind an efficient offensive effort that included a layup from John Kelly III, a jumper from Ethyn Brown and a pair of buckets from Mason Wujek to give QU a lead it would keep for nearly the entirety of the half.
The Hawks defense kept Cedarville out of the scoring column for nearly the first three minutes of the game, allowing Quincy to control the tempo and remain ahead by a few possessions up until the closing minutes of the first half.
CU hung around, slowly chipping away at a Quincy lead that grew to as many as 10 points, drawing within just a score on several occasions before using a late flurry of buckets in the final two minutes to get right back into it, eventually tying the game at 33-33 just before halftime with a last-second three-pointer.
Coming out of the break, the teams exchanged baskets until an 11-0 run from the Jackets propelled CU to a 50-41 advantage just before the second media timeout.
Quincy answered with a 12-point run over the next four minutes, erasing the deficit and moving ahead 53-50 on a Jake Hamilton free throw at the 9:55 mark of the half.
It was a dog fight for the next six minutes as both sides traded baskets, unable to create much distance from the other as the Hawks clung to a narrow 66-65 advantage heading into the final media timeout with just under three and a half to play on a Logan Robbins dunk.
The closing stages of the game were all Cedarville as the Jackets went on a 12-0 in the final minutes to seal a 77-66 winner over QU.
Robbins led the Hawks in scoring off the bench, finishing with 16 points on a very efficient 6-8 shooting and 4-4 performance at the stripe. Brown and Wujek joined Robbins in double figures with 12 and 11, respectively, as Brown also led the team in assists with five. Kelly III led the Quincy rebounding effort, pulling down a career-high 11 boards as QU out rebounded CU 46-39.
Next Up
The Hawks are back in action on Thursday (Nov. 14), getting their first taste of home cooking in the 24-25 campaign against Hannibal-LaGrange University. Tip-off for the home opener is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
