Quarter century of memories: Watson’s triple-double, Bush’s all-around effort carry Blue Devils to regional championship

Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman began covering the Quincy High School boys basketball program during the 1998-99 season, and with this being his 25th season following the Blue Devils, he put together a list of his 25 most memorable games. Here is today’s installment:

March 2, 2007 — Quincy 71, Springfield Southeast 55

QUINCY — The epic performance Quentin Watson put together in the Class AA regional championship game in 2007 isn’t easily forgotten.

It’s even harder to replicate.

In fact, no other Quincy High School boys basketball player in the last quarter century has.

Facing Springfield Southeast for the regional title in the Spartans’ own Scheffler Gym delivered one of the most complete individual efforts in anyone’s memory when he posted a triple double in leading the Blue Devils to a 71-55 victory on March 2, 2007.

Watson, a 6-foot-5 power forward, finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocked shots, spearheading a defensive effort that limited the Spartans to 31.3 percent shooting from the field and 27.8 percent shooting from 3-point range.

“He was just awesome,” Quincy guard Matt Bush said at the time.

Bush played an equally sizable role in the Blue Devils’ defensive effort. Tasked with guarding Southeast guard Lawrence Thomas, who came in having scored 26 or more points in three of his previous four games, Bush locked in and forced Thomas to struggle.

The Southeast junior finished with 17 points, but he went 7 of 17 from the field overall and missed eight shots in a row.

“It was another wonderful performance,” former Quincy coach Sean Taylor said of Bush’s defensive effort.

His offensive effort was equally sterling.

Bush made three consecutive 3-pointers in the first half during an 11-0 run that took the Blue Devils from trailing 21-13 to leading 24-21. They never trailed again. Bush, a 6-foot-3 guard who went on to play at Blackhawk College and the University of Illinois-Chicago, finished with 18 points and seven assists.

Overall, the Blue Devils shot 64.1 percent from the field with Watson contributing three dunks as they won the 58th regional championship in program history.