Raiders hold off Bulldogs to secure 1,000th victory in girls basketball program’s history

QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s 37-31 victory over Highland on Saturday evening was the 1,000th in program history.

But that historic win did not come without a struggle.

QND, which remains undefeated at 4-0, was not able to put away Highland (1-4) until the final minute of play at The Pit. Sophomore guard Ari Buehler swished a pair of late free throws during the closing 51 seconds to ice the verdict during the final day of the Gully Transportation Shootout.

“This (achievement) says a lot about the great tradition of Lady Raider basketball and all of the great players who have gone through this program,” said QND coach Eric Orne, who has been responsible for 526 of those victories.

Notre Dame has won six state championships and collected 12 top-four finishes. Orne’s teams have won four of the titles and earned eight top-four trophies. What will it take to enhance those postseason numbers with this season’s team that features a roster that shows no seniors?

“This year (we’re back up) to Class 3A, and this game with Highland was a good 3A battle,” Orne said. “I felt we controlled the momentum, but had to work for everything.”

Don’t let Highland’s sub-.500 record fool you. Highland is not yet playing with a full lineup due to injuries, but is a perennial 3A power in the Metro East region. The Bulldogs return a strong nucleus from last year’s 26-5 club and have endured just one losing season since 2003 and won 11 Mississippi Valley Conference titles since 2006.

Highland actually outscored QND 26-22 over the final 2 1/2 quarters. That came after the Raiders opened up with a 15-5 lead.

“We did what we had to to win,” Orne said.

Jenna Durst, one of three sophomores in QND’s starting lineup, led the Raiders with 14 points, followed by junior guard Sage Stratton’s 12. Rebounding-wise, sophomore Tristan Pieper (8), Stratton (6) and Buehler (6) combined for 20 of the Raiders’ 29 caroms.

Stratton pointed to the Raiders’ cohesiveness as a unit as a key to the team’s early season success.

“We all feel like we can trust each other,” she said. 

Stratton said QND’s weakness on paper — its youth — is actually working in the opposite fashion. The lack of natural senior leadership has forced many of the younger players to step up, rather than sit back and watch.

“We all realize we have to be leaders,” Stratton said.

Stratton is the only Raiders player to score in double figures in all four games. She’s averaging 14.3 points per game, including a high of 22 in a 64-42 win over Keokuk.

Buehler, who started a year ago as a freshman, is now playing with an above-average amount of confidence as a sophomore. Her maturity defies her grade level on the QND roster sheet.

“We sacrifice for each other and take care of one another,” she said. “I think we’re right where we should be as a team right now.”

Buehler is averaging 10 points per game, the second of QND’s double-figure scorers. Two others, Pieper (9.8) and Durst (9.3) are close behind.

Orne said this group has bought into what is needed for the program’s continued success.

“I’m extremely pleased with our defense and rebounding,” he said. “Those are our strengths right now. The kids believe in what they have to do, and what they do in practice carries over to what they do in games.”

Only one Highland player, Sophie Schroeder, scored in double figures, registering 11 points. Lauren Maas secured a game-high 10 rebounds.

QND is back in action with home games Monday and Thursday against Pleasant Hill/Western and West Hancock. The Raiders close out the coming week with a date at Unity on Saturday.