Blue Devils clamp down defensively in third quarter to separate themselves from Tigers

December 27, 2024 | By Muddy River Sports

Quincy High School's Cameron Byquist drives to the basket and is fouled by Wheaton Warrenville South's Brooke Ittersagen during the second quarter of Thursday night's first-round game in the large school girls bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic at Bloomington High School. Byquist made the basket and completed the three-point play. | David Adam photo

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — If the State Farm Holiday Classic organizing committee had chosen to incorporate the shot clock for this year’s tournament, the Quincy High School girls basketball team’s nine-point halftime lead Thursday night could have been substantially more.

“I bet we force another four or five turnovers,” QHS coach Brad Dance said. “Our defense was really good.”

It’s what carried the Blue Devils to a 52-43 victory over Wheaton Warrenville South in an opening-round game of the large school girls bracket at Bloomington High School.

The Blue Devils led by two points at the end of the first quarter but used six consecutive points from Jada Brown in the second quarter to take a 29-20 lead. However, true separation didn’t happen until the third quarter when the Blue Devils held the Tigers to just two field goals.

Wheaton Warrenville South’s Emily Troia buried a 3-pointer from the right corner two minutes into the second half, trimming the deficit to six. Quincy responded with six straight points — all from Brown in the lane — and extended the lead to 37-25 when Kate Mettemeyer scored off a Brown assist.

The Tigers went 2 of 11 from the field with three turnovers in the third quarter.

“We did a nice job of not letting them get the ball inside and forcing them to shoot the ball from the perimeter,” Dance said. “They struggled to find shots.”

It took the Blue Devils at least a half if not more to settle into a rhythm.

“I was trying to get them to slow down and work the ball against their zone,” Dance said. “We were too impatient at times.”

Still, the Blue Devils (9-4) ended up with 14 assists on 22 field goals.

“This group is pretty unselfish,” Dance said. “They do a pretty good job of moving the ball and sharing it. I like that part about our offense.”

Brown finished with 20 points, while Khloe Nicholson and Myley Longcor scored 11 points apiece.

Quincy will face Chicago St. Ignatius at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals. St. Ignatius beat Rochester 61-22 in the final game of Thursday’s slate.