‘Let’s just bury them’: Third-quarter blitz carries Raiders to lopsided victory over Cardinals

Quincy Notre Dame guard Ari Buehler, left, runs the offense while being pressured by Pleasant Plains' Bailey Leach during Tuesday night's game at The Pit. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball players decided they had allowed Pleasant Plains to hang around long enough. So when they went to the locker room at halftime Tuesday night with an eight-point lead, there wasn’t much need for a discussion on how to approach the second half. The plan was quite simple:…

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Shifting gears: Raiders ratchet up intensity in second half to put away Warriors in home debut

Quincy Notre Dame guard Ari Buehler sets up the offense during Friday night's game against Calhoun in the QND/Gully Transportation Tip-Off Tournament at The Pit. | Shane Hulsey photo

QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s energy was far from coach Eric Orne’s liking in the first 16 minutes of the Raiders’ home opener against Hardin Calhoun on Friday. “We weren’t playing Lady Raider basketball in the first half, just sluggish, a lot of standing around,” Orne said. “I thought with our…

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Countdown to tipoff: Raiders finding competitive edge to carry them through Class 3A postseason

Quincy Notre Dame junior point guard Ari Buehler, left, and veteran coach Eric Orne hope to lead the Raiders on a deep postseason run in Class 3A this season. | Shane Hulsey photo

Coverage of the QND girls basketball team is brought to you by: QUINCY — The smallest spark can light a fire inside Sage Stratton. “It’s easy to make me mad and make me not really like you,” Stratton said. “I try to find something not to like and that motivates me.” It’s not necessarily a…

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‘I feel heartbreak for the kids’: Bid for sectional title falls one point short for Notre Dame girls

Quincy Notre Dame's Jenna Durst tries to dribble past Chatham Glenwood's Rowann Law during the second half of Thursday night's Class 3A girls basketball sectional championship at MacArthur High School in Decatur, Ill. | David Adam photo

DECATUR, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team couldn’t have asked for a better player to step to the free-throw line. Sophomore Ari Buehler, who had scored eight points in the fourth quarter and expertly handled Chatham Glenwood’s unrelenting defensive pressure to keep the Raiders close, was fouled near mid-court with eight-tenths of…

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Home is where victories are: QND girls run win streak at The Pit to 24 straight by beating Palmyra

Quincy Notre Dame's Tristan Pieper, right, attempts to block a shot by Palmyra's Candra King during Tuesday night's game at The Pit. | David Adam photo

QUINCY — Above all else, protect The Pit. That’s more or less an unwritten rule when it comes to the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team. The Raiders’ home floor — a.k.a. The Pit — is more than a safe haven for the QND team. It has become a full-fledged basketball sanctuary for one of…

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Raiders hold off Bulldogs to secure 1,000th victory in girls basketball program’s history

Quincy Notre Dame’s Tristan Pieper, right, looks to shoot while being defended by Highland’s Larissa Taylor during the second half of Saturday night’s girls basketball game during the Gully Transportation Shootout in The Pit. | David Adam photo

QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s 37-31 victory over Highland on Saturday evening was the 1,000th in program history. But that historic win did not come without a struggle. QND, which remains undefeated at 4-0, was not able to put away Highland (1-4) until the final minute of play at The Pit.…

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Freshmen don’t wither in spotlight, help QND girls capture sectional title over Central-Southeastern

Quincy Notre Dame's Jenna Durst, right, drives past Central-Southeastern's Amanda Stephens during the second half of Thursday night's Class 2A girls basketball sectional championship game at Pleasant Plains High School. | David Adam photo

PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long was asked any advice he has for the seven teams left in the Class 2A state tournament for how to beat Quincy Notre Dame. “It’s only happened once,” he said succinctly. “Good luck.” The No. 1-ranked Raiders took early command of Thursday night’s sectional championship…

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One for the Road: QND girls play first game outside Adams County in 45 days, steamroll Hillsboro in sectional semifinal

Quincy Notre Dame's Abbey Schreacke, right, dribbles past Hillsboro's Kenadie Carlock during Tuesday night's Class 2A sectional semifinal game at Pleasant Plains High School. | David Adam photo

PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — After playing 13 consecutive games in Adams County, Quincy Notre Dame coach Eric Orne thought his team needed to pack its bags and hit the road. The Raiders were 16-0 at The Pit this season, concluding with an emotional and demanding 54-43 victory over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in the championship game…

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Buehler? Buehler? Buehler? Yes, Buehler hits clutch free throws as QND rallies past Unity

Quincy Notre Dame freshman guard Ari Buehler sizes up a free throw during Saturday's game against Mendon Unity at The Pit. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The moment required Ari Buehler to ignore, focus and follow through. Not an easy task on any front. Fouled with 14.4 seconds remaining in regulation and the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team clinging to a two-point lead, the freshman guard first had to become oblivious to the chatter from the Unity players…

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