Upper Iowa outlasts QU women’s basketball team to win GLVC opener in double overtime

FAYETTE, Iowa — The inability to get to the finish line proved costly for the Quincy University women’s basketball team.

The Hawks held a two-possession lead with three minutes remaining in both regulation and the first overtime of Monday night’s Great Lakes Valley Conference opener, only to have Upper Iowa erase the deficit both times.

When the Peacocks took a two-possession lead in the second overtime, the Hawks couldn’t do the same. Sydnee Nelson’s 3-pointer and single free throws from Nelson and Anna Soler allowed Upper Iowa to sneak away with an 88-84 double-overtime victory at Dorman Memorial Gym.

Quincy actually led by nine points with 3:47 remaining in regulation before going 1 of 5 from the field and 1 of 4 from the free-throw line as Upper Iowa tied the game at 61. The Hawks scored the first five points of the first overtime and led by five with 2:38 remaining.

However, the Peacocks pulled with 70-69 with a minute to play when a couple of plays went against the Hawks. First, Quincy was assessed a technical foul with 42.2 seconds remaining for having six players on the floor following a timeout. Upper Iowa’s Mia Huberty made both free throws to tie the game at 72.

After the teams each made two free throws to tie the game 74, QU’s Nicole McDermott had the ball poked away on a drive to the basket and it went out of bounds off her knee with 7.5 seconds left, ultimately sending the game to a second overtime.

Huberty hit a 3-pointer from the right wing 42 seconds into the second OT and the Peacocks never trailed again. Huberty finished with 38 points.

McDermott led the Hawks with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Karsyn Stratton had 16 points and Cymirah Williams had 13 points and three blocked shots.

Quincy (5-2, 0-1 GLVC) heads to Drury on Thursday to continue a three-game road trip.