QU women’s basketball team finds itself right back in groove following Christmas break

QUINCY — Cymirah Williams’ eyes got big and her smile widened.

Asked how comfortable the Quincy University women’s basketball players were getting back on the Pepsi Arena floor for the first time in three weeks and just the second time in the last five weeks, the senior forward gushed over how seamless the transition felt.

“Coming off Christmas break, we looked really good,” Williams said after Friday night’s 80-49 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory over Lincoln. “Obviously, we have to get our feet back under us and get back in the rhythm of the season, but I feel like every practice we had leading up to this was focused.

“We know the expectations. If we live up to those expectations, we will be successful.”

It’s the first time since the 2018-19 season the Hawks have won their first game after Christmas break.

“We knew we had to get this win,” QU sophomore guard Mariann Blass said. “Obviously that’s our approach every game, but specifically this one coming off the holidays, we needed this one to set the right tone. We did that with defense.”

The Hawks (8-5, 2-2 GLVC) limited the Blue Tigers to eight points in the first quarter, forced them to shoot just 33.3 percent from the field and outrebounded them 40-29. Lincoln managed just two second-chance points and committed 18 turnovers.

“We played really good position defense in the past with four players and one player was always a little bit slower, a little bit out of position,” QU coach Courtney Boyd said. “Tonight, all five were in sync. In the first quarter, we really established that and it gave us something to build off moving forward.”

The Hawks understood defense needed to be the priority.

“Coach wanted us to dominate all 40 minutes and that starts with defense, not offense,” Williams said. “Offense will come to us as long as we handle our business on defense. Whatever our coaches need us to do, we’re going to do it. That’s always the expectation.”

The offense did come thanks to unselfish play.

Quincy finished with 20 assists on 34 field goals, shooting 50 percent from the field overall and 55.1 percent inside the 3-point stripe. Blass went 10 of 15 from the field and scored a game-high 23 points, while Williams went 6 of 9 from the field for 12 points.

Karsyn Stratton, who scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, had a team-high five assists, while forward Taylor Haase finished with four assists, mostly on kickouts from the post.

“When you play good defense, the offense just comes naturally,” Blass said.

The right mentality helps, too.

“The deeper we get into the season, we’re seeing different reads or realizing, ‘Hey, let’s not think about this shot being for us but finding a better shot for someone else,’” Williams said. “It makes us think about what we’re doing on the court. Not just thinking about ourselves, but thinking for the team.”