Shooting woes in fourth quarter, scoring drought cost QHS girls chance to win in return to Shootout

QUINCY — About the only thing any of the Quincy High School girls basketball players would change about their return to the Quincy Shootout field is the ending.

The Blue Devils would like a redo on the fourth quarter, too.

The Blue Devils led Millard North, of Omaha, Neb., by 11 points at the start of the final period, but the offense lost its rhythm and focus as Quincy scored just two points over the final eight minutes and was saddled with a 56-52 loss Saturday afternoon at Blue Devil Gym.

“We just weren’t hitting our shots in the last quarter,” sophomore guard Myley Longcor said. “It brought us down and really challenged us. We were energetic the first three quarters, but the missed shots hurt us. (Millard North) kind of figured out what we were doing, and we just kind of broke down.”

No one could stem the tide.

Jada Brown gave Quincy a 50-36 lead when she scored an uncontested layup off a Longcor assist with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter. The Blue Devils didn’t score again until Brown made another layin with 2.8 seconds remaining in regulation.

That ended an 18-0 run by the Mustangs, and although it made it a two-point game at the time, the Blue Devils didn’t have any time or possessions left to overcome the scoring drought.

“We executed very well at the beginning and shots just didn’t fall,” Dance said. “Then we panicked a couple times there at the end and couldn’t get the looks we wanted.”

It was a stark contrast to the first half in which the Blue Devils bolted to an 18-8 lead and went 6 of 12 from 3-point range. The Blue Devils were 8 of 20 overall from beyond the arc with Longcor going 4 of 9 and Madelyn Hamby and Khloe Nicholson each knocking down two.

“We had a goal of going out hot and staying hot, and we definitely came out like that,” said Hamby, who had 10 points. “We stayed like that for three quarters. That’s a goal we hit, so that’s good. We just need to hit it one more quarter.”

For three quarters, Quincy’s balance befuddled Millard North.

Brown led the Blue Devils with 17 points, while Longcor had 14 and Nicholson finished with 11 points and nine rebounds. 

“If someone is having an off night or the opponent is taking someone away, there are always four more girls who can do it, too,” Hamby said. “That’s what is good about our balance.”

Said Dance, “It makes us hard to defend.”

That’s if the shots are falling.

“I think we needed just one to go through to calm everyone down in the fourth quarter,” Dance said.

This was the QHS girls first appearance in the Shootout since the inaugural event in 2018 and one of two times they will play in Blue Devil Gym this season. QHS (14-8) will play host to Quincy Notre Dame at the venerable facility on Feb. 4.

“I love this atmosphere,” Hamby said.

Longcor seconded that.

“That was probably the funnest game I’ve played all year,” she said. “I love the crowd.”