Matt Schuckman, Sports Editor
Boys basketball At Homer B. Musgrove Fieldhouse, Sterling, Ill. Quincy High School 60, Sterling 32. Click here for the story and video interview. At Liberty, Ill. Liberty 57, Brown County 52: A 20-point lead at the end of the third quarter got uncomfortably tight near the end as the Hornets rallied. The fifth-ranked Eagles used…
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STERLING, Ill. — The Quincy High School boys basketball team’s effort last weekend against United Township resulted in a victory, but it was anything but perfect. Blue Devils coach Andy Douglas might describe it as imperfect. “There wasn’t a defensive possession in the first quarter where we didn’t make a mistake,” Douglas said. So he…
Read Full Article Boys basketball At Monroe City, Mo. Columbia Father Tolton 59, Monroe City 41: In a battle of state-ranked teams, the Trailblazers gained the edge by limiting the Panthers to 15 combined points in the second and third quarters. Monroe City, ranked second in Class 3 according to the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association polls, trailed 32-18…
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QUINCY — The bags of ice taped to both of Nate Shockey’s ankles and the way every muscle in his body ached from exhaustion suggested he needs more than 36 hours to recuperate. Having a victory to fall back on will speed up that timeline. “Oh, 100 percent,” the Quincy University sophomore guard said. And…
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QUINCY — As a kid, Kyle Cartmill chose to be the Blue Devil mascot for his Halloween costume. His passion for the Quincy High School boys basketball program has never waned, no matter where life’s road has taken him. Cartmill, a 1995 QHS graduate, became a Hall of Fame player who enjoyed a solid career…
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QUINCY — Every big shot Maddie Spagnola hit needed a complementary piece. That never happened. Spagnola, a senior point guard on the Quincy University women’s basketball team, buried a 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer Thursday night, only to see the Hawks miss their first two shots of the fourth quarter. She hit another 3-pointer early…
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FOWLER, Ill. — The hinges creak as Buster Elliott swings the wooden door open. “I better bring some WD-40 out here with me next time,” he said. “That sounds awful.” Sure, lubricating the hinges will help, but in zero degree weather, some creaking is expected. “Don’t be afraid of the cold,” Elliott said. “You’ll be…
Read Full Article Men’s basketball At Student Activity Center, Quincy John Wood Community College 86, Illinois Central College 74: The Trail Blazers won their third consecutive Mid-West Athletic Conference matchup with a blistering effort from the perimeter. The Trail Blazers shot 56 percent from 3-point range, going 14 of 25 and making several in a key second-half surge…
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QUINCY — Respect is growing for the Liberty boys basketball team. The Eagles remained No. 5 in the Class 1A state poll released Wednesday, but they received a first-place vote as the top of the Class 1A poll remains stacked. Four teams received first-place votes with No. 2 Yorkville Christian receiving the most with seven.…
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QUINCY — For the first time since 2012, when the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team won the second of its three straight state championships, the Raiders are the No. 1-ranked team in the state. QND and Winnebago switched spots atop the Class 2A state poll after the Raiders beat third-ranked Illini West on the…
Read Full Article Boys basketball At Blue Devil Gym, Quincy Quincy High School 66, Alleman 33. Click here for the story and photos. At Carthage, Ill. Quincy Notre Dame 57, Illini West 45. Click here for the story. At Liberty, Ill. Liberty 61, Jacksonville Routt 47: The fifth-ranked Eagles used their size to their advantage as their frontcourt…
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QUINCY — Had Andy Douglas wanted to keep his single-season 3-point shooting record just a little while longer, he could have benched Jeremiah Talton after the senior sharpshooter made his fifth trey Tuesday night. “I should have,” Douglas said with a laugh. “That would have been hilarious.” Even if Douglas had taken Talton out, he…
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QUINCY — The clamor began as soon as Wil Wells stood up and made his way to the scorer’s table to check in to Tuesday night’s game against Rock Island Alleman. He knew it wouldn’t stop until he scored. “It’s a little bit of pressure, I have to admit,” Wells said. A senior forward on…
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QUINCY — As Chris Harmann strolled out of the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s locker room and onto the Blue Devil Gym court last Saturday morning, instincts took over and guided him toward the home team’s bench. Then reality set in. He wasn’t supposed to be sitting on the north end of the gym.…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Abbey Schreacke’s reaction said everything. This one meant something. An all-state junior guard on the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team, Schreacke caught the ball on the left block as time ticked away in the final 15 seconds of last Thursday’s state-ranked showdown with Illini West and the game tied at 38.…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — Nariah Clay’s clutch free-throw shooting and consistent play throughout the week carried the second-seeded Canton girls basketball team to the championship of the 79th annual Tony Lenzini Invitational. That included going 8 of 9 from the line and scoring 14 points in a 68-54 victory over top-seeded Palmyra in last Saturday’s championship…
Read Full Article Boys basketball At Mendon, Ill. Brown County 63, Unity 52: Cole Behymer scored 22 points as the Hornets controlled the game in the second half. Colby Wort added 17 points for Brown County. Gavin Koenig led the Mustangs with 12 points, while Nick Maynard and Melvin McMillen scored 10 points apiece. Girls basketball At Rushville,…
Read Full Article Boys basketball At Blue Devil Gym, Quincy Quincy Shootout St. Louis University High 49, Quincy High School 40. Click here for the story and photos. Liberty 62, Dixon 48. Click here for the story and photos. At Palmyra, Mo. Tony Lenzini Tournament Monroe City 73, Hannibal 60. Click here for the story and photos. Palmyra…
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Stylish, bold, eye-catching and colorful. And it’s all about sole. During the fourth Quincy Shootout, which took place Friday and Saturday at Blue Devil Gym and Friday night at the Pit, the shoe game of some of the top prep basketball players in the state and in the nation was on display. A handful of…
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QUINCY — The son of a Blue Devil legend did all he could to keep a current Quincy High School boys basketball standout carving his own legacy from adding a Quincy Shootout victory to his resume. By doing so, Nick Kramer made the trip down memory lane unforgettable. Kramer, the St. Louis University High senior…
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QUINCY — The initial reaction was what Greg Altmix expected. Thursday afternoon, the Liberty boys basketball coach informed his players they had added a game to the schedule with an appearance in the fourth Quincy Shootout at Blue Devil Gym. “(The organizers) giving us a chance to come and play in this event really got…
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QUINCY — The Modesto Christian boys basketball team’s 2,000-mile trip from California seemed like a worthwhile adventure when the Crusaders had a 45-40 halftime lead over CBC out of St. Louis. The Crusaders must have forgotten to pack their offense for the second half. The Cadets scored 44 points in the second half, while limiting…
Read Full Article Boys basketball At Blue Devil Gym, Quincy Quincy Shootout Quincy High School 55, United Township 45. Click here for the story and photos. At the Pit, Quincy Quincy Shootout Confluence Prep 66, Quincy Notre Dame 65. Click here for the story and photos. At Griggsville, Ill. Liberty 52, Griggsville-Perry 20: The Eagles raced out to…
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QUINCY — Bradley Longcor III nodded at the suggestion it had been a week filled with low-energy practices for the Quincy High School boys basketball team. “It wasn’t the best,” the freshman guard admitted. Junior guard Reid O’Brien was a little more blunt. “We didn’t have any good practices all week long,” O’Brien said. So…
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QUINCY — When the Chicago St. Rita boys basketball team needed someone to spark a rally, the state’s top-ranked sophomore prospect obliged. James Brown, a 6-foot-8 forward, scored 11 of the Mustangs’ 25 fourth-quarter points as they erased a 12-point deficit and narrowly escaped Blue Devil Gym with a 76-75 victory over Huntington (W. Va.)…
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QUINCY — One of the nation’s most talented and most talked about prep school lineups found itself facing a halftime deficit Friday night. That’s when Link Academy showed why it is receiving so much attention. Tarris Reed Jr., playing in the Quincy Shootout for the second time in his career, powered his way to eight…
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QUINCY — A five-point lead at the end of the first quarter was extended to 13 by halftime as Berkmar, Ga., systemically pulled away from the iSchool of Lewisville, Texas, for a 70-45 victory in the opening game of the fourth Quincy Shootout at Blue Devil Gym. Malique Ewin, a 6-foot-10 Ole Miss signee, led…
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Boys basketball At Palmyra, Mo. Tony Lenzini Invitational Hannibal 73, Highland 40: A 13-point halftime cushion turned into a rout as the Pirates’ 3-point barrage carried them into Saturday night’s championship game against top-seeded Monroe City. Hannibal made four 3-pointers in the third quarter and 11 treys overall. Aaris Stolte finished with 24 points, making…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — The difference between the two best Class 2A girls basketball teams in the west-central part of the state is subtle, yet simple. One has Abbey Schreacke. The other does not. With the outcome of Thursday night’s battle of state-ranked teams, Quincy Notre Dame was going to win, lose or draw with the…
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QUINCY — It’s cold outside. Like really cold. Like your truck doesn’t want to start and whines when you do start it kind of cold. That’s OK. It’s warm in Blue Devil Gym and the Pit and a myriad of high school venues around the area where some of the best basketball is taking place…
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