Blue Devils open WB6 play with complete effort in dismantling Panthers

EAST MOLINE, Ill. — With United Township boys basketball coach Ryan Webber absent Friday night, the Panthers struggled to stay disciplined and couldn’t contain Quincy High School’s Jeremiah Talton in suffering a 70-39 loss in the Western Big 6 Conference opener.

Webber was out with an undisclosed illness — Abel Zertuche filled in as head coach — and Quincy (4-0, 1-0 WB6) took full advantage of a team that looked out of sorts from the start. United Township started the game shooting just 2 of 12 from the field, allowing the Blue Devils to build a 19-6 lead.

But the biggest problem for UT (4-2) wasn’t Webber’s absence. It was Talton.

The 6-foot-6 guard shot 10 of 13 from the field and finished with a game-high 25 points. He had more points than UT had as a team for a short period in the third quarter.

“He did a really good job of staying poised,” Quincy coach Andy Douglas said. “They tried to take him away early on and he didn’t force a whole lot. He let the game come to him. The good thing about this group is that we have a lot of guys unselfish enough to give him the ball in spots. He played how we expect him to play — under control and take shots when he gets them. He was really good for us tonight.”

Talton also had some help. Freshman guard Bradley Longcor had 19 points and shot 7 of 10 from the field.

“We knew they were going to come out and stick a man onto me, but a bunch of (my teammates) were able to get points off that which helped a lot,” Talton said. “It opened the offense up for everybody.”

For as much as UT tried to stop him, it seemed like almost every shot Talton took was in space. Anything outside of a 15-foot jumper was given to Talton without as much as a hand in his face.

“I was kind of surprised at the open looks,” Talton said. “But I was able to knock some of them down. When they are given to me, I know I can take those open looks.”

And he did. But Quincy’s defense also played a huge role. The Blue Devils held UT to 16-43 from the field because of its pressure. The Blue Devils were on the ball handler as soon as he crossed mid-court, and the Panthers were unable to drive into the lane. Much of the first half was filled with UT senior guard Mahki Johnson launching up deep 3-pointers, but making a few, because that was the only open shot the team could find.

Quincy led 33-16 at half, and it only got worse. The Blue Devils’ rebounding came into play in the third quarter when there were two possessions that included three offensive rebounds each. They both ended with points and deflated any sort of momentum the large UT home crowd was trying to give its team.

“Our inside guys did a really good job of establishing our presence,” Douglas said. “That’s a key to our game. On opportunities where we could go get the ball, we got it. We didn’t just limit ourselves to one shot. We did a good job on the glass on both the offensive and defensive end.”

The lone bright spots for UT were Johnson and DeVontay Wright. Both finished with a team-high 12 points.

It was the largest margin of victory this season for the Blue Devils, who are so young (four freshman and three sophomores) that Douglas is still in the mindset of improving each day.

“With how we coach them, it’s not necessarily how many wins we have out of it,” Douglas said. “Our biggest thing is, ‘Are we making improvements?’ I’m really excited about the improvements this team has made on both sides of the ball, and the mental game from game one to game four.”

But that may change after tonight. UT entered the season as one of the three projected favorites, alongside Rock Island and Moline, and a road win like this is something Douglas knows is significant.

“Anytime you can win on the road in this conference, it’s a good win,” Douglas said. “I’m trying to get our guys to understand that it’s difficult to win in this league. It’s always difficult here at UT. I know they are without Coach Webber, and we wish him nothing but the best, but we are happy where we are at right now.”

UT coaches were unavailable to talk with after the game. 

United Township will return to the court at 7 p.m. Tuesday to host Rock Island. Quincy plays next at 6:30 against Centralia on the road.