LEBANON, Ill. – The Quincy University men's basketball team suffered an 86-56 setback on the road Saturday afternoon, as McKendree controlled the paint and used a balanced offensive attack to pull away inside the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
Both offenses struggled to find rhythm early, with the score knotted at 9-9 through the opening seven minutes as McKendree shot just 3-for-10 in that span.
The pace picked up over the next five minutes. Quincy connected on 4-of-7 shots with a pair of three-pointers, while the Bearcats countered by shooting 5-for-7 with two triples of their own to take a narrow 21-19 lead with eight minutes remaining.
McKendree seized control to close the half, finishing on a 17-3 run. The Bearcats shot 6-for-11 and 3-for-4 from deep during the surge, while the Hawks went just 1-for-10. McKendree carried a 38-22 advantage into the break.
At halftime, Quincy was shooting 34.6 percent from the field, while McKendree shot 48.3 percent and knocked down seven three-pointers.
Camren Kincaid provided an early spark after the break, scoring six points in the opening four minutes. However, McKendree's offensive consistency and Quincy's inability to string together stops kept the margin wide, with the Bearcats leading 60-39 with just under 11 minutes remaining.
The final stretch mirrored much of the game. McKendree continued to spread the scoring across the lineup, with seven different players scoring down the stretch as the lead grew to 30. The Bearcats secured the 86-56 victory.
Quincy posted its fourth-lowest field goal percentage of the season, shooting 36.4 percent from the floor and 7-of-27 from three-point range while going 9-of-15 at the free throw line. McKendree shot 55 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from beyond the arc, hitting 10 three-pointers. The Bearcats dominated inside with a 46-18 edge in paint points and converted 15 Quincy turnovers into 20 points, while the Hawks managed just four points off turnovers.
Kincaid led Quincy with 12 points.
Tiernan Stynes and
Lorenzo McMillion added 10 points each, while Stynes and
Ethan Bolton pulled down nine rebounds apiece.
Jakeb Wallingford grabbed three rebounds to surpass 600 for his collegiate career.
McKendree showcased its balanced attack with three players scoring in double figures, led by Cha'Vez Woods' 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting.
Quincy returns home to Pepsi Arena for its final regular-season home game Thursday, February 26, when the Hawks host Lewis University at 7:30 PM following the women's contest.
