ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Hawks pushed the conference leaders to the brink but came up just short, falling 62–61 in overtime to Missouri–St. Louis on Friday night inside the Mark Twain Building. In a physical, grind-it-out contest, turnovers and missed free throws ultimately proved costly as Quincy narrowly missed out on a statement road upset to open the new year.

Quincy struck first, opening the game with a jumper from Hampton Williams on the opening possession, but after that, offense was hard to come by for both sides. The Hawks held an 8–4 edge midway through the quarter during a stretch where neither team scored for nearly three minutes.

The Hawks closed the quarter strong, using a 6–0 run to build a 10-point advantage with under a minute remaining. UMSL answered late with four quick points, including a layup at the buzzer, but Quincy still carried a 16–10 lead into the second period.

Quincy was highly efficient in the opening frame, shooting 8-of-12 from the field, while the Tritons struggled at 5-of-17 shooting and went 0-for-4 from beyond the arc.

UMSL responded immediately, opening the second quarter on a 10–2 run over the first two and a half minutes to claim its first lead of the night.
The remainder of the quarter featured back-and-forth action, with Hayven Harden providing a spark off the bench. Harden scored seven of the Hawks' final nine points in the period, helping Quincy stay level as the teams entered halftime tied at 27.

Quincy shot 5-of-12 in the quarter and went the entire first half without a made three-pointer. Despite shooting just 33 percent in the period, UMSL knocked down three triples and went 4-for-5 at the free-throw line to keep pace.

Neither team could create separation coming out of the break, as the third quarter featured constant lead changes and tight defensive play. Blair Eftink knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:11 remaining to give Quincy a slim 40–39 advantage heading into the final frame.

The Hawks shot a solid 50 percent from the field in the quarter and finally connected on their first three of the game. However, turnovers began to pile up, with Quincy committing eight in the period, allowing the Tritons to remain within striking distance despite continued shooting struggles.

Missouri–St. Louis opened the fourth on an 8–2 run over the first five minutes to take a 47–42 lead. Quincy answered with a 7–2 response, fueled by four points from Acheampomaa Danso and a clutch three from Sydney Runsewe to tie the game with under a minute remaining.

Moments later, Runsewe buried another triple to put the Hawks in front. UMSL answered with a layup, trimming the deficit to one and forcing a Quincy timeout with 39 seconds left. Out of the break, the Tritons forced a turnover and went to the line, where one of two free throws tied the game at 52.

Quincy had multiple chances to win in regulation, but a pair of missed layups inside allowed UMSL to regain possession. The Tritons missed a potential game-winner in the final seconds, sending the contest to overtime.

The teams traded baskets early in the extra period, with the score knotted at 56. UMSL then used a brief 4–0 run to regain the lead. Harden scored inside to keep the Hawks close, but missed free throws down the stretch proved costly.

Quincy had a look at a potential tying three in the closing seconds, but the attempt came up short. A final basket at the buzzer was not enough, as the Tritons escaped with the 62–61 victory to remain unbeaten in conference play.

Quincy shot 43.1 percent from the field and 4-of-12 from three-point range, while UMSL finished at 34.3 percent overall and just 3-of-18 from deep. A difference came at the free-throw line, where the Tritons went 13-of-17 compared to 7-of-14 for the Hawks.

Turnovers also played a significant role, as Quincy committed 22, its fifth game this season with 20 or more, while UMSL finished with 13. The Hawks' bench delivered a season-high 26 points, while the Tritons relied heavily on their starters.

Harden led Quincy with a season-high 15 points off the bench while also grabbing a season-best nine rebounds. Williams added 11 points and eight boards, narrowly missing a double-double. Katey Flynn was held to two points on the night on 1-4 shooting.

For UMSL, conference-leading scorer Mara Rieder delivered another standout performance, finishing with 23 points, nine rebounds, three assists, four steals, and four blocks.

The Hawks will look to snap a four-game losing streak on Sunday, January 4, when they remain on the road to face Lincoln at 1:00 PM in Jefferson City, Missouri.