Strong closing kick carries QU women’s basketball team to GLVC road victory

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy University women’s basketball team found itself in a precarious position once again.

A one-point game with less than eight minutes remaining in regulation.

In five of the seven games prior to Thursday night’s Great Lakes Valley Conference showdown with Illinois-Springfield, the Hawks were within four points heading to the closing stretch and figured out how to win only one of the games.

The lessons learned paid off this time. 

Quincy scored 32 points over the final seven minutes and pulled away for a 91-80 victory to earn the first GLVC victory of the season. It is the Hawks’ first victory at UIS since 2015 and the most points scored in a conference game since a 100-99 loss to the Prairie Stars in three overtimes in 2021.

It’s the most points scored by QU in regulation of a GLVC game since beating Rockhurst 95-75 in 2020.

Quincy led 59-58 before Sarah Nelson scored in the paint and Beth Matas Martin made a pair of free throws to give the Hawks a two-possession advantage. The lead remained just two points with 3:20 to play before Quincy went on a 13-2 run highlighted by 3-pointers from Rylee Denbow and Grace Flanagan.

The Hawks (3-5, 1-2 GLVC) made 12 of 14 free throws in the final 1:10 to seize the victory. They were 21 of 25 from the line overall.

Matas Martin led five Hawks in double figures with 23 points, while Nelson and Flanagan each had 17 and Denbow and Cymirah Williams each added 11 points. Emma Knipe finished with nine points, seven rebounds and seven assists.