Halftime adjustments spark tide-turning run as QU women’s basketball team wins eighth straight

QUINCY— The Quincy University women’s basketball team knew it was just a matter of time.

“We were in the locker room at halftime and kind of looked at each other and knew that we didn’t play our best basketball, and they just might have,” guard Nicole McDermott said. “So, we knew we were in a good spot.”

Leading just 35-32 after an uneven first half that saw seven lead changes and six ties, the Hawks allowed Lexie White to score on a layup and 3-pointer in the opening minute of the third quarter to put Truman State in front 37-35.

And then they went to work.

A steal by Cymirah Williams led to a 3-pointer by Mariann Blass, jump-starting a pivotal 16-0 run that carried QU to an 82-69 victory Saturday afternoon in a Great Lakes Valley Conference game in Pepsi Arena.

The Hawks dominated both ends of the floor in the second half to run their winning streak to eight games and improve to 14-5 overall and 8-2 in the GLVC, trailing only Drury and Lewis.

Their crisp ball movement and dominance on the offensive boards enabled four players to reach double figures in scoring. Their defense produced 10 steals in the second half and 16 overall, with all nine players who saw action credited with at least one.

And every time Truman State tried to mount a comeback, someone stepped up to either hit a clutch shot or make a defensive stop.

It was the kind of all-around effort QU coach Courtney Boyd was hoping for.

“We came in a little bit unprepared for their zone, and that’s on me,” she said. “We made an adjustment at halftime and the team bought into it. The high post opened up a lot and exploited their zone and gave us a lot more open looks.

“Forcing turnovers was huge. We talk about deflections. If you can’t get the steal, then you need to get your hand on it. We forced them into a lot of deflections that turned into steals. Being in the right place at the right time on defense enabled us to settle in on offense.”

The contributions were teamwide.

McDermott scored 14 of her game-high 18 points in the second half and also snatched eight rebounds. Karsyn Stratton made 8 of 11 shots to finish with 17 points and six assists. Blass scored 10 of her 16 points in the second half and Williams went 7-for-9 from the field to end with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

And Taylor Haase grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds as the Hawks owned a 22-11 advantage in the second half and 40-28 overall. Fourteen of those rebounds came on the offensive end to enable QU to score 12 second-chance points.

“I have so much confidence in my team,” Williams said. “We have the tools to continue winning as long as we stay hungry. We have something to prove.”

Truman State (7-13, 4-6 GLVC) tried to stay within striking distance by hitting four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs scored eight straight points to get as close as 72-67 with 2:22 left.

That’s when Williams answered with a spinning move in the lane and Blass hit back-to-back baseline jumpers after Truman State turnovers to spark a 10-0 run to seal it.

White led three Bulldogs in double figures with 16 points. Jordan Cunningham, a 6-foot forward who entered the game averaging a team-leading 17.9 points and had scored 26 in an 85-76 loss to the Hawks in a non-conference game on Nov. 23, was limited to one field goal and six points in 36 minutes.

The Hawks shot 67 percent from the field in the fourth quarter and 50 percent for the game. Thirty-eight of their points came in the paint.

All eight of their wins during the current streak have been by 10 or more points, and their 14 victories represent the most in a single season since the 2015-16 team went 25-6.

“I love to win. There’s nothing better than that,” McDermott said. “And to do it with this group is really special.”

After wrapping up a four-game homestand, QU will be on the road Thursday against Southwest Baptist and Saturday against Rockhurst, two teams with sub.500 records. It returns home Feb. 6 to face Missouri S&T.

“It was nice to see every single time we stepped into the gym our fan base grew a little bit more and a little bit more. That’s exciting to see,” Boyd said. “I think the team is becoming more fun to watch. There’s a little bit more faith in what they’re doing.

“And if we can move the basketball and continue to have a positive assist-to-turnover ratio with four people in double digits, I don’t know if there’s much to complain about.”