QU women unable to stay close in second half, lose fifth consecutive game

FAYETTE, Iowa — The Quincy University women’s basketball team’s performance in Thursday night’s 81-57 loss to Upper Iowa mirrored how the season has transpired.

It’s a second-half struggle.

The Hawks trailed by seven points with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter of the Great Lakes Valley Conference contest at Dorman Memorial Gym before the Peacocks went on a 13-3 run over a five-minute span to take complete control.

Upper Iowa outscored Quincy 50-31 in the second half, shooting 57.7 percent from the field over the final 20 minutes and owning a 27-5 overall edge in points off turnovers. The Hawks went 1 of 11 from 3-point range in the second half and 1 of 15 overall.

A fifth straight loss — each of the previous four had been by eight points or less — dropped the Hawks (9-17, 8-12 GLVC) to 10th in the GLVC point rating system used to determine the eight-team field for the conference tournament.

Quincy has two games remaining at Truman State on Saturday and at home against Illinois-Springfield on March 2.

The Hawks scored 12 points in the game’s first 4 ½ minutes and led by as many as four points, but they managed just two points the remainder of the quarter and squandered the lead. Trailing by as many as eight points in the second quarter, Quincy cut the deficit to 31-26 at halftime.

Nothing went right thereafter. Quincy committed 17 turnovers overall, shot 37.3 percent from the field and managed just seven second-chance points off 12 offensive rebounds.

Cymirah Williams led the Hawks with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Mariann Blass had 11 points and Karysn Stratton added 10. Mia Huberty led the Peacocks with 24 points, while Katie Tornstrom scored 23.