Rough start leads to late rally falling short as QU men’s basketball stumbles on road

PITTSBURG, Kan. — The inconsistency the Quincy University men’s basketball team is showing takes time and toughness to fix.

Now, there isn’t much time left before Great Lakes Valley Conference play begins.

The Hawks struggled offensively at the start of Saturday’s game against Missouri Southern in the Pitt State Thanksgiving Classic, hit a lull defensively and then rallied to trim a 16-point deficit to four with two minutes remaining in regulation.

It wasn’t enough as the Lions held on for a 74-68 victory, dropping the Hawks to 2-3 prior to the GLVC opener next Saturday against Indianapolis at Pepsi Arena.

The Hawks fell behind 39-29 at halftime after the Lions shot 56 percent from the field in the first half. Quincy shot just 36.7 percent from the field and failed to score 30 points in a half for the first time this season.

Missouri Southern extended the lead 53-37 less than six minutes into the second half and maintained a double-digit lead until Quincy’s Orlando Thomas made a pair of free throws with 9:24 remaining to trim the deficit to 55-46.

The Lions pushed the lead back to 14 with seven minutes to play, but the Hawks chipped away until climbing within 64-60 on Isaiah Foster’s 3-pointer with two minutes to go.

Missouri Southern’s Avery Taggart answered with a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to keep Quincy at bay.

Zion Richardson led the Hawks with 16 points, while Jamaurie Coakley had 12 points and Paul Zilinskas added 10. Quincy went just 8 of 24 from 3-point range — 33.3 percent — and was outrebounded 41-26.