Buoyed by energetic defensive effort, Hawks push Bulldogs to limit before falling in GLVC play

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — As Kaci Bailey entered the Quincy University women’s basketball team’s locker room following Thursday night’s game, the first-year coach sensed the Hawks expected her to be upset or discouraged.

Instead, Bailey walked in clapping.

“I was like, ‘Hell of a game,’” Bailey said as her depleted troops battled Truman State to the final minutes of a 58-48 loss in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at Pershing Arena. “I was like, ‘I’m so proud of you guys. Honestly, I couldn’t be more proud of you guys.’

“They kind of looked up and were like, ‘Oh, you’re happy?’ I was like, ‘Hell, yeah, I’m happy.’”

Only seven Hawks were available and three played 36 or more minutes, but they held the Bulldogs, the third highest scoring team in the GLVC, 14 points below their scoring average and trailed by only a point heading into the fourth quarter. It was a two-possession game until the final 90 seconds.

Truman State made six consecutive free throws in the final 1:13 to put the game away.

Bulldogs guard Hannah Belanger made four of those free throws, finished with 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds to give Truman State a boost.

“She’s an All-American,” Bailey said. “I told our players to make her work for hers. I really think she had to work hard for those 20 points.”

The Hawks had to work to stay in the game, too.

Quincy outscored Truman State 15-6 in the first quarter and maintained the advantage until Belanger made two free throws with 17 seconds remaining in the first half to forge a halftime tie at 24. The Hawks appeared to be out of steam when the Bulldogs went on a 13-0 run spanning the first 4:30 of the third quarter.

Truman State’s lead actually grew to 14 points when Maddie Re answered Dami Adeynika’s free throw with a layup for a 39-25 advantage with 4:36 to go in the third.

Adeyinka scored on the next possession and ignited a furious rally. Quincy ended the quarter on a 15-2 run to cut the deficit to 41-40.

The Hawks did that despite running on fumes.

“Beth (Matas Martin) got really tired, and we’re asking her to score so we had to pull her for a minute or two so she could play the last four or five minutes,” Bailey said. “Sarah (Nelson) kind of hurt her knee, so she had to come out for a second. Thankfully, she’s fiune.

“We competed. That led into our whole message before the game. And that was commit. Commit to yourself and to the person beside and play to the best of your God-given ability for 40 minutes tonight. I really think they did.”

Matas Martin finished with 14 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Grace Flanagan scored 11 points and Nelson collected 10 points and seven rebounds.

The Hawks (6-17, 2-13 GLVC) get a Saturday bye this week before starting the final five-game stretch with three consecutive home games, including Monday night’s makeup game against Maryville.