Triple the pain: Titans continually knock down 3-pointers, hand Raiders untimely loss

HAMILTON, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team’s inability to run West Hancock off the 3-point strip Tuesday is alarming with the start of postseason play just four days away.

The Titans made 13 3-pointers and maintained a 13-point advantage throughout the second and third quarters, parlaying it into a 68-58 West Central Conference victory that has the Raiders reeling ahead of the Class 2A Beardstown Regional.

QND (16-11, 6-3 WCC) has lost four of its last six games — three to Class 1A programs — and must regroup before facing Rushville-Industry at 5 p.m. Saturday in the regional quarterfinals.

“It’s a big eye-opener we needed before the postseason starts,” QND coach Kevin Meyer said.

Isaac Siegfried made three 3-pointers in the first quarter as West Hancock (12-16, 2-6 WCC) surged to a five-point lead. Siegfried made two more 3-pointers in the second quarter, Bryan Gerhardt made a pair of treys and Colin LeMaire added another as the Titans scored 19 points in the second quarter and led 37-24 at halftime.

Siegfried added three more treys in the second half, knocking down eight 3-pointers overall and scoring a game-high 24 points. LeMaire finished with 15 points, and Gerhardt added 12.

“West Hancock made a ton of hustles plays and knocked down big threes,” Meyer said.

Playing without junior forward Alex Connoyer, who was absent with an illness, hurt the Raiders defensively, but junior forward Jake Wallingford’s stellar offense kept them in the game. He finished with 18 points, scoring 10 in the second half. Jackson Stratton and Braden Sheffield each had 11 points.