QU men suffer 22-point road loss as consistency, confidence issues continue

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy University men’s basketball team dominated one of the best teams in the Great Lakes Valley Conference for 12 minutes.

It was the other 28 minutes that did in the Hawks.

University of Illinois-Springfield used a barrage of 3-pointers to score the opening 10 points and lead 18-2 after four minutes, then withstood an impressive rally that saw QU twice move in front by a point late in the first half before finally pulling away Saturday afternoon for a 78-56 victory.

The Prairie Stars, the second-highest scoring team in the GLVC, shot 52 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from 3-point range as four players scored in double figures. They remain tied with Lewis for third place behind Indianapolis and Upper Iowa after improving to 13-6 overall and 6-3 in league play.

The Hawks were held to their lowest offensive output of the season to fall to 9-8 and 4-5 in the GLVC with their second consecutive loss.

For QU coach Steve Hawkins, the game was a microcosm of the season so far.

“We’ve got a really solid basketball team when we play with confidence,” he said. “We’re not the best team in the league, but we have good enough talent to win when we’re confident and play incredibly hard. But it’s difficult to play hard and not be confident at the same time.

“For a 12-minute stretch we were really good.”

UIS, among the top shooting teams in Division II, showed why early. Guard Max Kunnert, a transfer from Hawaii-Hilo, buried back-to-back 3-pointers from the left corner. Jordan Rice, a junior guard from Rock Island, sank another long-range shot and a transition dunk by guard Jacob Hanna appeared to turn the game into a rout before fans were comfortable in their seats.

But Isaiah Foster, Zion Richardson, Orlando Thomas and Nate Shockey responded by combining for 11 consecutive points. After another Kunnert 3-pointer, Shockey and Thomas answered with long-range baskets of their own, and Richardson’s jumper with 7:49 left in the first half put QU in front for the first time, 23-22.

Foster added another 3-pointer at the 4:39 mark to give the Hawks a 27-26 lead.

“We knew it would be a challenge,” Hawkins said. “I have no idea how they lose any games. They have one of the best inside players in (6-foot-6 forward Jack) Weber, great shooters and a point guard that plays 39 minutes a game. If you allow them to be comfortable, then you have a problem. 

“They’re an average defensive team, so you have to score with them, and we didn’t early on. We had a group that came off the bench that provided us with a lot of energy. We ran and put pressure on the rim. Our defensive pressure did that. 

“In the last four minutes we turned the ball over a couple of times and took some bad shots. That little stretch killed us.”

The Prairie Stars scored the final nine points of the half to take a 35-27 lead. The teams traded punches to open the second half, with a Shockey steal and layup pulling the Hawks within 41-36.

But Rice hit a step-back 3-pointer as the shot clock was about to expire, Kunnert hit from the right wing and Rice followed with another bucket from behind the arc to make it 50-36 as UIS hit six of its first 10 shots to begin the second half.

Meanwhile, QU, which never got closer than 13 points the rest of the way, struggled on the offensive end, going six minutes without a field goal.

With the Prairie Stars collapsing defensively to take away driving opportunities for Richardson and Foster, the Hawks were unable to hit from the perimeter to open the floor. They ended up shooting 34 percent from the field, including a 5-for-18 showing from 3-point range.

Richardson, coming off a 30-point effort against Upper Iowa, was just 3 for 13 from the field for 12 points. Foster and Shockey paced QU with 14 points apiece.

“We have to shoot good from the perimeter,” Hawkins said. “We have to be able to stretch the court.”

Rice led UIS with 18 points, with Hanna (15), Kunnert (14) and forward Khalil Ross (10) also reaching double figures. The Prairie Stars showed their versatility and balance by hitting 10 3-pointers and also outscoring the Hawks 34-20 in the paint.

QU, just 1-4 in true road games, travels to Drury on Thursday and to Southwest Baptist next Saturday, two teams it currently leads in the GLVC. The Hawks beat SBU 66-50 at home on Jan. 6.

“We’re only nine games in, so there’s a lot of basketball left,” Hawkins said. “We’re fighting like hell to get over the hump to where we expect to win.”