QU women continue to struggle offensively, unable to overcome slow start against SBU

QUINCY — A slow start offensively by the Quincy University women’s basketball team made brewing up a comeback overly challenging against a balanced-scoring Southwest Baptist squad on Thursday night in Pepsi Arena.

The Hawks lost a one-point lead with 3:12 remaining in the first quarter and watched the Bearcats extend the advantage to 37-25 by halftime. It propelled SBU to a 75-63 victory in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.

The Bearcats took advantage of a 14-4 run in the second quarter and had Faith Gilkey penetrate the lane and score as time expired in each of the first two quarters to seize the momentum.

“We came out and did not play well and were not ourselves in the first half,” QU first-year coach Kaci Bailey said. “I commend us for competing in the second half. We knew they were going to be competitive. We said it was going to be who recovered better and who had more grit, and at the end of the day, they just wanted it a little more and had a little bit more grit than we did.”

Some frustration and foul trouble from leading scorer Sarah Nelson rattled the Hawks.

“We got away from the fundamentals of stepping to the pass, jump-stopping, getting into somebody and getting open,” Bailey said. “We just have to get back to what we do and not let people dictate what we do.”

Prior to Southwest Baptist guard Kyleigh Vaught’s 11-point fourth quarter, which included her scoring nine straight, Quincy’s Beth Matas Martin had back-to-back buckets and a triple midway through the third quarter to cut the deficit to 45-38.

The Hawks forced the Bearcats into 19 turnovers and continued to have success at the charity stripe, going 13 of 17.

“We just have to figure out how to put 40 minutes together,” Bailey said. “I thought we played well defensively in the second half creating turnovers. We just have to capitalize and get into better shape to play at the tempo.

“Offensively we did some good things late, but at the end of the day, we have to step up and make shots.”

Matas Martin led the Hawks with 15 points in her first game back after not playing or practicing since December 20 due to COVID protocols.

“Honestly, it was a little bit hard because we had the break and I tried to work out as much as I could in Chicago,” the Spain native said. “Coming back, I had to complete the COVID protocols so it was kind of hard to get back in shape.”

Martin went 6 of 12 from the field and grabbed three rebounds.

“I felt like we didn’t come ready to play as a team,” Martin said. “They were a good team and it was just hard for us to recover all of the points we gave up in the first half.”

The Hawks (4-8, 0-4 GLVC) will finish a three-games-in-six-days stretch with Saturday’s trip to William Jewell in Liberty, Mo.

“We just have to continue to stay together, trust the process of what coach says, and be mentally tough,” Martin said.