Rough patch offensively in third quarter costs QU women chance at GLVC road victory

INDIANAPOLIS — One bad quarter was enough to doom the Quincy University women’s basketball team.

Trailing by just four points at halftime, the Hawks made only 1 of 12 field goal attempts and scored just four points in the third period Saturday afternoon to fall to the University of Indianapolis 68-58 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at Nicoson Hall.

QU trailed 40-36 after a layup by Grace Flanagan with 8:22 to go in the quarter but missed its final 10 shots and managed only two free throws by Janiece Dawson the rest of the period to allow Indianapolis to increase its lead to 55-38.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Beth Matas Martin and Dawson two minutes into the fourth quarter enabled the Hawks to close within 55-44, but they were never able to get any closer until Dawson’s layup with 28 seconds left provided the final margin.

Matas Martin scored 20 points to lead QU, which led by as many as four points in the first quarter before a jumper by guard Elana Wells with one second to go tied it at 15.

A layup by forward Sadie Hill in the opening seconds of the second period gave Indianapolis, which has now won the last seven matchups between the teams dating to the 2018-19 season, a lead it would never relinquish.

Wells finished with 22 points and Hill 18 for the Greyhounds, who improved to 13-9 overall and 9-5 in the GLVC. Indianapolis shot 50 percent from the field and made 17 of 23 free throws.

Cymirah Williams had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Dawson finished with 12 points for QU. Matas Martin and Williams combined to hit 13 of 22 field goals, but the rest of the team went just 9 of 34 from the field.

The Hawks (10-13, 6-9 GLVC) also missed 9 of 20 free throws.

QU returns home to face Illinois-Springfield next Saturday.