Hawks unable to sustain momentum, suffer Great Lakes Valley Conference road loss

LIBERTY, Mo. — The Quincy University men’s basketball team has yet to figure out how to play every game with a sense of urgency.

It proved costly Saturday.

Coming off an upset of Southwest Baptist on Thursday night at Pepsi Arena, the Hawks ended their toughest stretch of the season — four games in seven days — with a lackluster effort. They failed to score in the game’s first five minutes, played from behind the final 21 minutes and suffered an 81-77 loss to William Jewell in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at the Mabee Center.

Worse yet, it was the defensive effort that ruined the Hawks’ momentum.

The Cardinals shot 50.9 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from 3-point range to win for the fifth time in the last six games.

William Jewell led 6-0 before QU’s Silas Crisler scored at the 15:13 mark. When Paul Zilinskas scored on a layin four minutes later, the Hawks had their first lead of the game. It was part of an 8-0 run that put Quincy up by five.

The Hawks (9-7, 2-4 GLVC) maintained the edge until five minutes remained in the first half. The lead changed seven times in a four-minute span before the Cardinals (7-6, 3-2 GLVC) made a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute to go up 35-31 at halftime.

Quincy never led again.

Zilinskas led the Hawks with 18 points off the bench, while Mark Bradshaw Jr. had 14 points and Jalen Stamps added 10. Jordan Jermain led the Cardinals with 20 points.