Panthers’ third-quarter burst provides separation in victory over No. 1-ranked Raiders

HARRISBURG, Mo. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s inability to clear the defensive glass proved costly early.

The inability to get defensive stops proved costly late.

Centralia (Mo.) scored the final eight points of the first quarter — all off offensive rebounds — and rattled off a 9-0 run in the third quarter, handing the No. 1-ranked Raiders their second loss of the season with a 56-48 victory on Saturday in the Mid-Mo Invitational at Harrisburg High School.

This was QND’s fifth game against a state-ranked opponent in an 11-day span as the Raiders, who were tied with Washington for the No. 1 spot in the Class 3A state poll, went 3-2 in those games and sit at 19-2 overall. Centralia, which is 12-1, is ranked third in the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 3 state poll.

The Panthers’ tenacity paid dividends in the first quarter. Centralia surged to a 14-7 lead back-to-back 3-pointers by Ryenn Gordon and Maddy Johnson — both off offensive rebounds — highlighted a stretch where all three field goals were second-chance points.

In the third quarter, QND was down 26-25 before Centralia went on a 9-0 run. Although the Raiders trimmed the deficit back to five by the end of the quarter, they never got over the hump.

Junior forward Tristan Pieper led the Raiders with 15 points, while Sage Stratton had 13. Ryenn Gordon led the Panthers with 25 points.