Hawks rely on power in paint to keep winning ways alive, extend streak to seven straight victories

QUINCY — Once the Quincy University women’s basketball team figured out what worked best, there was no reason to do anything else.

The Hawks scored 40 points in the paint during a 48-point first half while building a 20-point lead that carried them to an 89-67 victory over William Jewell in Great Lakes Valley Conference play Thursday night at Pepsi Arena.

Overall, the Hawks scored 58 points in the paint, shot 50 percent from the field and dished out 21 assists. They outscored the Cardinals by 32 points in the paint and nine points on second-chance opportunities, and outrebounded them 54-32.

It led to Quincy’s seventh consecutive victory, the longest streak since the 2015-16 team won nine straight between beating Montana State-Billings on Dec. 18, 2015, and Missouri-St. Louis on Jan. 23, 2016. That team also had a nine-game win streak to open the season.

The school record for consecutive victories is 18, set during the 2010-11 season.

It became obvious the Hawks (13-5, 7-2 GLVC) would reach No. 7 in this streak from the start of Thursday’s game. Quincy scored the first three field goals — all at the rim and all off assists — never stopped attacking. William Jewell tried to stay in the fight, taking a one-point lead on three separate occasions in the first quarter.

However, Nicole McDermott scored off a Karsyn Stratton assist in the waning moments of the quarter for a 19-18 lead. The Hawks proceeded to score the first 12 points of the second quarter and outscored the Cardinals 29-10 over the final 10 minutes before halftime.

Quincy shot 58 percent from the field in the first half.

McDermott and forward Taylor Haase led the Hawks with 16 points apiece, while McDermott went 10 of 10 from the free-throw line and Haase grabbed 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Cymirah Williams had 10 points and 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.

Kate Hillyer led William Jewell (4-12, 2-8 GLVC) with 23 points as the Cardinals shot just 34.3 percent from the field and 25 percent from 3-point range.