Raiders putting their unselfishness, ability to make game-to-game improvements on full display

QUINCY — Two games into the high school boys basketball season, and Quincy Notre Dame coach Greg Altmix already likes what he sees.

Eleven players entered the scoring column, with four reaching double figures, as the Raiders overcame an early deficit to cruise to a 77-48 victory over Gateway STEM (Mo.) Saturday night in the QND/Gully Transportation Shootout at The Pit.

Jackson Connoyer and Beau Eftink scored 14 points apiece, Alex Dance 13 and Jace Allensworth 10 to help QND register its second convincing win in as many nights.

It was the Raiders’ willingness to share the wealth that most impressed their first-year coach.

“It’s not a secret in sports that if you’re willing to put aside your personal ambitions for the team, you’re going to have a great chance of success,” Altmix said. “Their selflessness and willingness to play together to achieve the outcome that they want is something I’ve been thrilled with these first two nights.”

Case in point: Seven different players scored during a defining 16-2 run that began three minutes into the first quarter and enabled QND to turn an 11-6 deficit into a 22-13 lead.

The Raiders never looked back. They stretched the advantage to 43-25 by halftime, with back-to-back buckets late by Gavin Doellman on assists from Dance closing out the scoring, and then took complete control by recording the opening six points of the second half.

QND, which often struggled with consistently putting points on the board a season ago, scored 20 or more points in every quarter but the third.

Most of the offensive damage came inside in a game that often was played at breakneck speed, thanks to Gateway’s up-tempo style. QND’s guards spent most of the game looking to drive to the basket either for easy layups for themselves or dishing off to Connoyer, Allensworth and others open in the lane.

Dance, Eftink and Jackson Pyatt hit a 3-pointer each, the only points other than 12 free throws that QND scored outside the paint.

“With our depth and our team, we’re super unselfish,” Dance said. “We share the ball. We just love to find the open person and create the best shot for each other.”

The Raiders also clamped down defensively after the Jaguars’ opening flurry, controlling the boards, forcing turnovers and converting them into transition baskets while limiting the guests to just 32 points over the final three quarters.

“They hit some shots early and we had to figure some things out,” Dance said. “I think we’re trying to find our identity still. We want to play hard defense, get out and run. I think we’re doing a good job of that right now, but we just have to keep getting better at it.”

Night-to-night improvement is all that Altmix is asking for.

“I thought we got position for rebounding but didn’t move anybody out (in Friday’s 65-40 win against St. Louis McCluer),” Altmix said. “Tonight, I saw guys being moved. I saw times when the whole lane was open.

“If we can continue to take steps like that, I’m going to be thrilled where we’re going to be in January. There were still plenty of things we can correct, but we made improvements. Like I told them, ‘Let’s be better tonight than we were last night.’ ”

Ben Dura and Romero Cannida scored 15 points apiece for Gateway, which fell to 1-1.

QND continues its homestand with games Friday night against Payson Seymour and next Saturday against Macomb.

“When you have a team where we’ve had two and a half weeks of practice, two games and they’re playing together the way they are, that’s impressive,” Altmix said. “I think we’re just scratching the surface.”