Strong second half defensively gets Blue Devils back to .500 mark in conference play

QUINCY — The first half was far from a masterpiece, but the final product looked significantly better.

The Quincy High School girls basketball team put the pedal to the metal in the second half of Thursday’s Western Big 6 Conference tilt with United Township, outscoring the Panthers 36-10 in the final 16 minutes on its way to a 53-22 victory at the QHS gym.

“I just felt they were kind of rushing things and trying to force things that weren’t there,” Blue Devils coach Brad Dance said of the first half. “We weren’t really playing our game, but in the second half I thought we did. I was proud of the way they responded.”

Ten first-half turnovers left Dance frustrated.

“Coach got on us about the turnovers,” Quincy sophomore guard Cameron Byquist said. “We were really just seeing how much potential we had if we just fixed the small things. It started in the locker room, then we just came out focused.”

The Blue Devils (6-4, 3-3 WB6) only turned the ball over four times in the second half and ratcheted up the defensive pressure, which started at the top with Byquist pestering the Panthers’ ball handlers. 

“We want her to be a nuisance for everybody else, and she did a heck of a job with that tonight,” Dance said.

Byquist, who had three steals to go along with 15 points and four rebounds, relishes the opportunity to hound the other team’s point guard.

“Especially when it comes to man-to-man, defense is my thing,” Byquist said. “I love defense.”

Byquist’s defense helped give the Blue Devils their first double-digit lead of the game. Her steal and layup pushed the Blue Devils’ advantage to 24-14 with 4:40 left in the second quarter and capped off a 7-0 run. The Panthers never got closer than eight points the rest of the game, and Quincy outscored them 25-4 over the closing 11 minutes.

“I feel like our defense was better in the second half and we were more aggressive,” Quincy freshman guard Khloe Nicholson said. “We just kept getting steals, tips, and fast breaks.”

Offensively, the Blue Devils settled down and stayed more patient against the Panthers’ zone defense.

“They just let the game come to them,” Dance said. “It was a lot easier for them to see what was happening once they were having some success.”

Most notably, Jada Brown found her groove. She scored 17 of her 21 points in the second half, and she said her assertiveness in the final two quarters paid dividends.

“I just felt like I needed to step up,” Brown said. “What I did in the first half wasn’t very good for me at least. I just needed to be stronger and more physical.”

Dance noticed the patience with which Brown played.

“She definitely played within herself in the second half, and in typical Jada fashion, did what she needed to do,” Dance said.

Nicholson had eight points and did not get to the free throw line, but she filled the stat sheet and made her presence known in several other areas. She had seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.

“I just try to forget about it and focus on other ways I can impact the game if my shot’s not falling,” Nicholson said. “I just try to find the open teammate.”

Dance especially appreciated Nicholson’s work primarily as an off-ball defender, which gave an extra layer to the Blue Devils’ defense that stymied the Panthers.

“We challenged the guards at halftime, and she responded along with the rest of them,” Dance said. “She got out there and defended. It was the one pass away that we needed to guard. Cam was doing a really good job on the ball, but we needed to make sure that next pass wasn’t easy because then Cam’s doing all that for nothing.”

This was the first of three games in three days for the Blue Devils. They will take on Hermann (Mo.) and Boonville (Mo.) on Friday and Saturday, respectively, in the Rumble on the River at John Wood Community College.

“Those will be two good contests for us,” Dance said. “I’m excited for it. It will be a good challenge for our girls and good exposure playing on a college court. We’re looking forward to it.”

Byquist said a rinse and repeat of Thursday’s second half would serve the Blue Devils well.

“As long as we bring what we brought in the second half into tomorrow’s game, I think we’ve got it,” Byquist said.