Posts Tagged ‘College basketball’
Late baskets by Gianquinto help JWCC men pick up critical region victory on home floor
QUINCY — An offensive rebound basket by Cachao Gianquinto put the John Wood Community College men’s basketball team ahead with 2:10 remaining in the game, and a layup by Gianquinto moments later provided the cushion necessary to post a 72-68 victory over Lincoln Land Community College on Wednesday night at the Student Activity Center. The…
Read MoreHot start to fourth quarter from perimeter carries QU women to GLVC road victory
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Perhaps this will prove to be a signature victory. The Quincy University women’s basketball team used back-to-back 3-pointers by Mikayla Huffine and another by Mariann Blass on consecutive possessions early in the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon to break open a tight game and hold on for a 69-66 road victory over the…
Read MoreQU men suffer 22-point road loss as consistency, confidence issues continue
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy University men’s basketball team dominated one of the best teams in the Great Lakes Valley Conference for 12 minutes. It was the other 28 minutes that did in the Hawks. University of Illinois-Springfield used a barrage of 3-pointers to score the opening 10 points and lead 18-2 after four minutes,…
Read MoreCrim: From NFL streaming to Schreake’s freshman campaign to being bitterly cold outside, Sunday indoors offers plenty to think about
QUINCY — Random thoughts on a bitterly cold day while waiting for friends to post more Facebook pictures of themselves either playing golf or frolicking in a heated pool in Florida: Would the NFL have considered postponing the Dolphins-Chiefs playoff game because of “dangerously cold” weather conditions featuring a “significant risk of frostbite” had it…
Read MoreHawks gets bullied on offensive boards in suffering GLVC loss to Peacocks
QUINCY — A basketball team can usually point to a few things to explain why it came up four points short. For the Quincy University men, it was only one. “We gave up 12 offensive rebounds,” guard Zion Richardson said. “That’s the ballgame right there.” Upper Iowa used those opportunities to score 11 second-chance points…
Read MorePlaying from behind too much for QU women to overcome in loss to Upper Iowa
QUINCY — Upper Iowa’s opening salvo was too much for the Quincy University women’s basketball team to overcome. The Peacocks needed just four possessions in the initial two minutes to bolt to an 11-0 lead and that cushion proved to be enough to withstand a second-half charge by the Hawks to secure a 69-62 victory…
Read MoreLeathernecks move into first place in OVC following fifth straight conference victory
CHARLESTON, Ill. — The Ohio Valley Conference newcomer is now the OVC frontrunner. That’s a position the Western Illinois University men’s basketball team would like to maintain. The Leathernecks moved into sole possession of first place in the OVC on Saturday, making two critical plays in the final 30 seconds of regulation to outlast Eastern…
Read MoreRichardson’s clutch plays at both ends of floor help Hawks reverse GLVC trend with Thursday victory
QUINCY — To be the hero at one end, Zion Richardson couldn’t be the goat at the other. He put himself in the right position to avoid that. An errant pass by Richardson from the backcourt while under pressure from the Truman State defense gave the Bulldogs a steal and the opportunity to cut into…
Read MoreChoosing to ‘get on the boat’ enables QU women to outlast Truman State for needed GLVC victory
QUINCY — Cymirah Williams put the onus squarely on the shoulders of the Quincy University women’s basketball players. “It’s a choice,” the junior forward said. “It’s our choice.” The choice seems quite simple. Fight through adversity, play buzzer to buzzer and find a way to win or slack off for a quarter or more and…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU men and women complete GLVC sweep of Truman State
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s and women’s basketball teams completed a Great Lakes Valley Conference sweep of Truman State on Thursday night at Pepsi Arena with the men surviving a 75-73 finish and the women making clutch free throws for a 78-75 victory. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the evening at Pepsi…
Read MoreCollege notebook: Former QU assistant coach guiding nation’s No. 1-ranked NCAA D-II team
QUINCY — The new No. 1-ranked men’s basketball team in NCAA Division II is being led by a former Quincy University assistant coach. Minnesota State-Moorhead moved to the top on the National Basketball Coaches Association poll this week with a 14-0 record, displacing reigning D-II national champion Nova Southeastern after the Sharks had their 62-game…
Read MoreSchuckman: Hawks taking things personal in hopes of getting off roller coaster ride
QUINCY — The trend needs to end. The only way to do that is to take losing personal. So the Quincy University men’s basketball team’s coaching staff slapped those words across the dry-erase board in the locker room following last Wednesday’s 80-66 loss at Rockhurst. “It’s been on the board all week,” sophomore point guard…
Read MoreTrust in their offense enables Hawks to weather field goal drought, defense stymies Bearcats
QUINCY — The longer it took for the Quincy University men’s basketball team to find success offensively, the more an 18-point halftime lead narrowed. The key was it never fully dissipated. The Hawks’ belief in themselves didn’t evaporate either. Quincy made just one field goal in the first seven minutes of the second half of…
Read MoreThree solid quarters not enough for QU women to erase one dismal quarter at start of loss to SBU
QUINCY — The Quincy University women’s basketball team continues to find itself three-quarters of the way to success. That missing quarter tripped the Hawks up again Saturday. Southwest Baptist outscored Quincy 23-10 in the first quarter and never relinquished the lead despite the Hawks’ second-half surge, leading to a 68-65 victory in Great Lakes Valley…
Read MoreOffense hits cold spell in second half as QU women drop GLVC road game at Rockhurst
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The run didn’t stop when the third quarter ended. That was bad news for the Quincy University women’s basketball team. Having led by as many as eight points, Quincy saw its advantage completely evaporate in the span of 3 minutes, 33 seconds as Rockhurst closed the third quarter Wednesday night on…
Read MoreEmpty possessions turn tide in Rockhurst’s favor as QU men suffer GLVC road loss
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Three consecutive empty offensive possessions coupled with three consecutive empty defensive possessions put the Quincy University men’s basketball team in an unenviable position. Rockhurst made it uncomfortable the rest of the way, too. The sequence that lasted 1 minute, 54 seconds early in the second half of Wednesday night’s Great Lakes…
Read MoreJWCC men head into new year with good vibes, right demeanor after back-to-back victories
QUINCY — The John Wood Community College men’s basketball players packed a six-game losing streak in their belongings and carried it home for the holidays. That’s where they left it. The Trail Blazers ended the 2023 portion of their schedule with back-to-back wins, beating Kishwaukee College 62-51 on Sunday in the JWCC New Year’s Classic…
Read MorePhoto gallery: JWCC completes weekend sweep to seize momentum with MWAC play looming
QUINCY — The John Wood Community College men’s basketball team’s 62-51 victory over Kishwaukee College on Sunday at JWCC’s Student Activity Center capped a perfect weekend as the Trail Blazers won both of their games in the JWCC New Year’s Classic. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the afternoon with the Trail Blazers and…
Read MoreTalton’s 3-pointer lifts JWCC men to victory in first game of New Year’s Classic
QUINCY — The John Wood Community College men’s basketball team has some fight in it. That didn’t get left at home during the holiday break. In the Trail Blazers’ first game in two weeks, they scored the final five points, including Joshua Talton’s 3-pointer with three seconds remaining in regulation, to snare a 76-73 victory…
Read MoreHawks head home for holidays with Christmas cheer, three-game win streak and tourney title
QUINCY — The getaway game never got away from the Quincy University men’s basketball team. That should make for a Merry Christmas for all. In the Hawks’ final game before heading home for the holiday break, they held Wayne State to 28-percent shooting from the field in the second half of a 66-55 victory Sunday…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU men win championship of Hansen-Spear Holiday Classic
QUINCY — A suffocating defensive effort in the second half of Sunday’s game and a double-double from senior guard Zion Richardson gave the Quincy University men’s basketball team a 66-55 victory over Wayne State and the championship of the Hansen-Spear Holiday Classic. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman was at Pepsi Arena and put together…
Read MoreHawks dispatch East-West University as reaching potential remains work in progress
QUINCY — First, some good news regarding the Quincy University men’s basketball team. The Hawks turned back East-West University 84-52 on Saturday afternoon in front of a crowd of about 300 at Pepsi Arena in the first round of the two-day Hansen-Spear Holiday Classic. The victory was impressive, even if it came against an overmatched…
Read MoreTrail Blazers unable to stop bounce back as Stormers fend off second-half rally
QUINCY — Brad Hoyt knows the yo-yo happens. “Finding a way to stop the bounce back is what’s critical,” he said. The John Wood Community College men’s basketball team couldn’t do that Saturday afternoon. Although Milwaukee Area Technical College led from start to finish in an 82-69 victory at the Student Athletic Center, the Trail…
Read MoreToughness wins: QU is unable to match UMSL’s physical style in GLVC loss
QUINCY — It isn’t difficult within the Great Lakes Valley Conference to find men’s basketball teams that can be categorized as tougher than a $2 steak. They are the ones beating up on Quincy University. Despite shooting the ball uncharacteristically well Thursday night — the worst 3-point shooting team in the GLVC actually made 10…
Read MoreQU women’s basketball team never gets on track in GLVC loss to UMSL
QUINCY — Discombobulated might be the most apropos way to describe the way things went Thursday night for the Quincy University women’s basketball team. Penciled into the starting lineup like usual, sophomore forward Chomp Danso was a last-minute scratch because of a health concern. It left the Hawks out of sorts from the start as…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU men and women square off against UMSL in GLVC doubleheader
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s and women’s basketball teams struggled through a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader Thursday night at Pepsi Arena. The women lost 62-44 to Missouri-St. Louis, while the men suffered a 75-66 setback against the Tritons. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the evening courtside and put together this photo…
Read MoreQU men’s basketball team regains offensive rhythm in second half of victory over Maryville
ST. LOUIS — The Quincy University men’s basketball team finally regained its rhythm. The Hawks’ continued struggles offensively — 29-percent shooting from the field and 22-percent shooting from 3-point range — left them in a seven-point hole at halftime of Saturday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference game against Maryville at Moloney Arena. Things change at the…
Read MoreDefense, rebounding carry QU women’s basketball team to another GLVC victory
ST. LOUIS — Two important statistical categories explain why the Quincy University women’s basketball team has won three of its last four games and remains undefeated on the road this season. Shooting percentage and rebounding. In the three victories, including beating Maryville 63-55 on Saturday afternoon in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at Moloney Arena,…
Read MoreConfidence comes in home victory as Hawks find way to get back on track
QUINCY — Coming off two disappointing losses in Michigan and with the start of Great Lakes Valley Conference play on the horizon, the Quincy University men’s basketball team needed a boost in confidence. While the pace of play was often ragged, thanks to a combined 83 missed field goal attempts and 25 turnovers, the Hawks…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU men’s basketball team pulls away from Judson in second half
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s basketball team pulled away from Judson University in the second half and posted a 64-45 victory Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Arena to even its record at 3-3. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent time at Pepsi Arena and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreShooting woes plague Hawks in second half of another road loss
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The inability to knock down perimeter shots is keeping the Quincy University men’s basketball team from staying in games. Two days after shooting just 10.5 percent from 3-point range in a 42-point loss to Grand Valley State, the Hawks managed to make just 4 of 24 3-point attempts in a 75-62 loss…
Read MoreHawks suffer 40-point loss on road, shoot just 10 percent from 3-point range
ALLENDALE, Mich. — A rough start and a worse ending to the first half put the Quincy University men’s basketball team on a collision course with the wrong side of history. Grand Valley State scored the first seven points of Saturday’s game at GVSU Fieldhouse Arena and closed the half on a 12-3 run, giving…
Read MoreQU women get overwhelmed in first half, remain winless after four games
QUINCY — To borrow from Van Morrison, Courtney Boyd knew there would be days like this. The Quincy University women’s basketball team shot 23 percent from the field and turned the ball over 13 times to trail 45-17 after the first half, and the Hawks never got closer than 19 points thereafter in a 97-62…
Read MoreEveryone in: Hawks seize opportunity to give bench players needed experience in lopsided win
QUINCY — The early-season schedule is giving the Quincy University men’s basketball team the opportunity to gain the one thing it lacks — experience. All 13 available players logged double-figure minutes Wednesday night as the Hawks overcame a sluggish start to cruise to a 92-39 victory over Hannibal-LaGrange University in their home opener in Pepsi…
Read More‘Weekend full of toughness’: Trail Blazers begin to forge identity with pair of victories
QUINCY — Brad Hoyt used two words to describe the John Wood Community College men’s basketball team’s defensive effort last weekend he hopes will be the same two words he uses to characterize the Trail Blazers all season. Toughness and physicality. JWCC won a pair of games in the John Wood Classic last weekend at…
Read MoreFree throws allow Hawks to hold off Oilers, pick up first victory of season
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — Finding a way to win the final two minutes of regulation the way the Quincy University men’s basketball team did Saturday should help the Hawks learn to win more nip-and-tuck games the remainder of the season. Despite leading Findlay by as many as eight points in the second half of the GLVC/G-MAC…
Read MoreSecond-quarter struggles put QU women’s basketball in bind
QUINCY — A second-quarter lull offensively put the Quincy University women’s basketball team in a hole it could never escape. Leading 15-14 after the first quarter, the Hawks were outscored 24-9 in the second 10-minute frame by Ursuline College and suffered a 77-60 loss in the final game of the GLVC/G-MAC Crossover Challenge at Pepsi…
Read MoreQU women put up fight in Boyd’s debut, fall one possession short of completing comeback
QUINCY — The fight is there. The consistency isn’t. Once the Quincy University women’s basketball team develops the latter, winning games that are decided in the waning moments will become more common. For now, the Hawks will take the lessons learned from Friday afternoon’s 54-52 loss to Cedarville in the GLVC/G-MAC Crossover Challenge at Pepsi…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU women’s basketball team fights to final buzzer in season opener against Cedarville
QUINCY — Courtney Boyd’s first game as the head coach of the Quincy University women’s basketball team showcased a couple of the traits that are expected to be hallmarks of her teams. Grit and resiliency. If the Hawks can add better scoring touch and more consistency to that mix, good things lie ahead. Quincy suffered…
Read MoreHawks’ defense struggles in second half of season-opening loss to Yellowjackets
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — A five-point halftime edge was gone five minutes into the second half, and the Quincy University men’s basketball team’s defense never buckled down enough to regain any edge. Cedarville went on a 12-2 run early in the second half and shot 58 percent from the field over the final 20 minutes to…
Read More2023-24 Muddy River Sports college basketball preview section
QUINCY — Check out a 30-page preview of the area college basketball scene with an in-depth look at the men’s and women’s programs from Quincy University, John Wood Community College, Western Illinois University and Culver-Stockton College.
Read MoreAdded responsibilities on campus do not change Hoyt’s focus in leading JWCC hoops program
QUINCY — The number of times Brad Hoyt criss-crosses the John Wood Community College campus on a given day probably isn’t as high as some might think. The number of questions he fields from every corner of the campus … well, that’s a number he’d rather not calculate. The JWCC men’s basketball coach’s “my door…
Read MoreJones dazzles, Schreacke shines and Talton scores in season debuts on college hardwood
QUINCY — Three area basketball products enjoyed solid season debuts Monday. Hannibal’s Dezi Jones dazzled in his first game with the Austin Peay men’s basketball program. Quincy Notre Dame’s Abbey Schreacke helped the Missouri women’s basketball team open with a victory. And Quincy High School’s Jeremiah Talton reached double digits for the Lindenwood men. Jones,…
Read MoreQU men, women both picked to finish ninth in GLVC preseason basketball coaches polls
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s and women’s basketball programs find themselves in the same exact spot. They have to prove the Great Lakes Valley Conference coaches wrong. Both QU programs were picked ninth among the league’s 14 teams in the preseason poll of the league’s coaches. Only the top eight teams make the GLVC…
Read MoreQU men’s basketball team looks to gain experience, show determination in exhibition against Iowa
QUINCY — Zion Richardson sees two significant benefits to the Quincy University men’s basketball team playing an exhibition game at the University of Iowa. “Experience and reps,” the senior guard said. The Hawks need both. QU officially opens its season Nov. 10 against Cedarville in the GLVC-GMAC Challenge in Kirksville, Mo., but with a roster…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU men’s basketball team prepping for exhibition game at Iowa
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s basketball team will play its only exhibition game next Monday against the University of Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes are picked ninth in the Big Ten Conference’s preseason media poll. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent time with the Hawks at Pepsi Arena…
Read MoreSchuckman: Coaching camaraderie that brought Izzo to town helps create fervor for QU season
QUINCY — Logistically, it didn’t make sense. Tom Izzo didn’t care. Steve Hawkins needed the right person to headline the Quincy University men’s basketball program’s first tip-off banquet, and the Michigan State Hall of Fame coach willingly obliged, despite the whirlwind schedule it created. Izzo boarded a plane from East Lansing, Mich., to Quincy early…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU tip-off banquet draws large crowd to hear Michigan State’s Tom Izzo speak
QUINCY — Tom Izzo is entertaining. Steve Hawkins is, too. Put the Michigan State and Quincy University men’s basketball coaches on the stage together and time flies with the stories they tell. That’s what took place Sunday night in QU’s Pepsi Arena where Izzo served as the guest speaker at the QU basketball program’s first…
Read MoreWIU’s Massner will get chance to Heat up during NBA Summer League
MACOMB, Ill. — Trenton Massner’s history-making efforts as a senior on the Western Illinois University men’s basketball team were noticed far beyond the Summit League borders. Coaches with the Miami Heat liked what they saw. Massner, the 6-foot-2 shooting guard from Wapello, Iowa, inked a free-agent deal with the Heat after going undrafted in last…
Read MorePair of former QU assistant coaches join NCAA Division I staffs
QUINCY — Former Quincy University men’s basketball coach Luke Strege is moving back to the NCAA Division I level. After eight highly successful seasons at Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo., Strege recently was hired as an assistant coach at North Dakota State University. The Bison went 16-17 overall last season and 11-7 in…
Read MoreBoyd adds former Truman State guard to QU women’s basketball coaching staff
QUINCY — A coach with ties to the Great Lakes Valley Conference will join new head coach Courtney Boyd on the Quincy University women’s basketball team’s sideline next season. Brooke Bailey will be Boyd’s top assistant, having agreed to join the QU staff after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Hillsdale…
Read MoreFormer QU men’s basketball players in transfer portal find new landing spots
QUINCY — Two former Quincy University men’s basketball players who entered the transfer portal have found new homes. Paul Zilinskas, a 6-foot-6 swingman with two years of eligibility remaining, announced via social media last week he will be joining another Great Lakes Valley Conference program as he plans to sign with the University of Indianapolis.…
Read MoreBoudreau, WIU prove compatible, making his promotion to men’s basketball coach easy move
MACOMB, Ill. — Western Illinois University found its perfect match, so there was no reason to waste any time making it official. Six days after naming Chad Boudreau as the interim men’s basketball coach in the wake of Rob Jeter’s sudden departure to take over at Southern Utah, WIU athletic director Paul Bubb removed the…
Read MoreBoudreau named WIU interim basketball coach with Jeter leaving for Southern Utah
MACOMB, Ill. — Chad Boudreau is getting the chance to prove he deserves an NCAA Division I head coaching position with a live audition. After news broke Friday that Western Illinois University coach Rob Jeter was finalizing a deal to take over at Southern Utah, Leathernecks athletic director Paul Bubb named Boudreau as the interim…
Read More‘Here we go’: Boyd ready to guide QU women’s basketball program back to historic heights
QUINCY — The caller ID read “Josh Rabe,” which meant Courtney Boyd knew which direction the conversation would veer if she answered. She said hello without hesitation. “What went through my head was, ‘Here we go,’” said Boyd, the Keokuk, Iowa, native who recently capped her sixth season as the head women’s basketball coach at…
Read MoreSchuckman: Coaching change is emotional torture on Hawks, but their research reveals ‘good, positive things’ with Boyd’s hiring
QUINCY — The overlapping exodus of Kaci Bailey and arrival of Courtney Boyd made for an emotionally challenging 36 hours for the Quincy University women’s basketball players. “Definitely a little stressful, a little overwhelming,” freshman guard Rylee Denbow said. Mix in plenty of uncertainty. “There are a lot of unknowns up in the air right…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: Hobbs discusses becoming next C-SC men’s basketball coach
CANTON, Mo. — Dorian Hobbs Jr. found his way home. A former Culver-Stockton College student-athlete and assistant coach with the men’s basketball team, Hobbs joined the Millikin University coaching staff as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in May 2021. However, his ties to C-SC made him want to return after Aaron Hill resigned as…
Read MoreSchuckman: Bailey left QU women’s basketball program riding upward trajectory
QUINCY — Kaci Bailey never intended to leave Quincy University as abruptly as she did. “Obviously, I wouldn’t have bought a house,” she said. Bailey never sold it as a lifelong commitment to coach women’s basketball here either. “As I told (QU athletic director Josh Rabe), QU has never been in the mix to be…
Read MoreBailey resigns as QU women’s basketball coach, takes over as head coach at Drury
QUINCY — The job Kaci Bailey did of pulling the Quincy University women’s basketball program from the dregs in just two seasons didn’t go unnoticed. It’s why the Hawks are in the market for a new coach already. Bailey tendered her resignation Tuesday and was introduced Wednesday morning as the new head coach at Drury…
Read MoreJones, former Hannibal all-stater, arrested in Connecticut and charged with strangulation, disorderly conduct
HAMDEN, Conn. — Former Hannibal multi-sport standout Dezi Jones was arrested by the Hamden Police Department on Tuesday night and charged with misdemeanor strangulation/suffocation and disorderly conduct, according to police reports. The arrest was first reported by NBC Connecticut. Jones, a 5-foot-10 guard who spent the previous two seasons on the Quinnipiac University men’s basketball…
Read MoreHurricane warning: Former JWCC basketball player with front row seat for Final Four as student manager for Miami
QUINCY — Kameron Whiteman and his family were walking around a Kansas City, Mo., business district during last weekend’s Midwest Regional finals when he ducked into a store filled with NCAA Tournament gear. He found shirts for the Houston, Texas and Xavier men’s basketball programs. “They didn’t have any Miami gear,” Whiteman said. He took…
Read MoreJWCC’s Talton finds ‘great fit for me’ as he commits to play at Division I Lindenwood
QUINCY — Looking back now, the sidestep Jeremiah Talton took on his path to an NCAA Division I college basketball program might have been the best thing for him. Lindenwood University gets to see the benefits of that for the next three years. The John Wood Community College freshman swingman and former Quincy High School…
Read MoreSchuckman: Building camaraderie, talking basketball brings Hawks together with Curtis Creek residents
QUINCY — Being insulated by the borders of the Quincy University campus gives the men’s basketball players a sense of security, but it doesn’t offer many opportunities to embrace those who embrace the Hawks’ success. Those are things they long to do. “We’ve wanted to be more involved in the community,” junior guard Zion Richardson…
Read MoreCrim: Bracket busting isn’t exclusive to the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament
QUINCY — It has been a bracket-busting tournament. No, we’re not talking about 16th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson toppling No. 1 Purdue. The Boilermakers, after all, have now lost to a double-digit seed in each of the last three seasons, so the outcome should not have been a complete shock. Rather, this concerns the NCAA Division II…
Read MoreSchuckman: This bracket is sure to bust, but Mizzou in final four will always be my dream
QUINCY — There are two rules of thumb I try to follow when filling out an NCAA Tournament bracket. One, never write the name of the school to the west of Missouri on any sheet. Two, try not to pick with your heart. The first one I always accomplish. The second? I failed miserably this…
Read MoreTrail Blazers’ Talton earns Region 24 and MWAC Player of the Year honors
QUINCY — For the fifth straight season and the eighth time in the past 10 seasons, the John Wood Community College men’s basketball team has produced the Region 24 Player of the Year. This year, for just the second time in that stretch, the Trail Blazers swept three major postseason awards. Credit Jeremiah Talton for…
Read MoreHawks’ Zilinskas, Davis announce they have entered transfer portal, won’t return to QU
QUINCY — A pair of Quincy University men’s basketball players have entered the transfer portal. Junior guard Paul Zilinskas and redshirt freshman forward Connor Davis announced their decisions on social media last week. Zilinskas, a 6-foot-5 swingman from , was the Hawks’ third leading scorer, averaging 10.9 points while shooting 42 percent from the field…
Read MoreCrim: Family’s passion for basketball is ‘awesome’ experience for Hamilton native Kurt Meister
ROCHESTER, Minn. — A case could be made that the Meisters are Rochester’s first family of basketball. Kurt and Angie Meister’s oldest child, Lincoln, is a 6-foot-10 junior forward on the Minnesota-Duluth men’s basketball team. The Bulldogs won 23 games during the regular season and qualified for the NCAA Division II national tournament for the…
Read MoreTrail Blazers’ season ends in unfamiliar territory with loss in Region 24 quarterfinals
CANTON, Ill. — The dark ride home gave John Wood Community College men’s basketball Brad Hoyt to accept there will be no tomorrow, at least not for this year’s team. “The reality has sunk in,” Hoyt said. “You get spoiled.” For the first time in six years, the Trail Blazers won’t play for the Region…
Read MoreHannibal’s Jones earns second-team All-MAAC after guiding Quinnipiac to third place in league
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Dezi Jones’ junior season proved to be one that made the men’s basketball coaches around the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference take note. The Hannibal native received second-team All-MAAC honors this week after guiding Quinnipiac to a third-place finish in the regular-season standings. The 5-foot-10 guard led the Bobcats in scoring at 12.4…
Read More‘We’ve got some dogs, man’: QU men take top-seeded Indianapolis into double OT before losing
ST. CHARLES, Mo. — An outsized and physically overmatched Quincy University men’s basketball team did everything it could on Thursday afternoon, but it couldn’t change the outcome — a gritty 79-77 double-overtime loss to top-seeded Indianapolis in the first round in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. What the Hawks did change this season, however,…
Read MoreLast-second shot doesn’t fall, but QU women earn respect by throwing scare into top-seeded Drury
ST. CHARLES, Mo. — It wasn’t quite the U.S. national hockey team over the Russians in 1980, but for NCAA Division II women’s basketball, it was darned close. Nobody could even fathom the Quincy University women’s basketball team staying remotely close to Drury, ranked No. 2 nationally, in the first round of the Great Lakes…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU women nearly pull first-round shocker at GLVC Tournament
ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The eighth-seeded Quincy University women’s basketball team nearly pulled off one of the biggest stunners in the history of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament, falling 79-78 to top-seeded Drury in Thursday’s tourney quarterfinals. MRN Editor David Adam put together this photo gallery:
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU men lose in double overtime to top-seeded Indianapolis in GLVC quarterfinals
ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The eighth-seeded Quincy University men’s basketball team took top-seeded Indianapolis to double overtime before falling 79-77 in the quarterfinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. MRN Editor David Adam captured these images for a photo gallery:
Read MoreCrim: Coaching, teaching basketball keeps JWCC assistant Rafferty in ‘his happy place’
QUINCY — Pat Rafferty says he will know when it’s finally time to walk away from basketball and coaching. At 72, after spending nearly a half-century with teams in high school and college gymnasiums, that time has yet to arrive. “He’s in his happy place,” John Wood Community College coach Brad Hoyt said of his…
Read MoreEmpty possessions cause headaches for Trail Blazers in two-point loss to Jaguars
QUINCY — Brad Hoyt might not sleep too soundly if he goes to bed with visions of a one-possession loss to nationally ranked Danville dancing in his head. “When you have a one-possession game, you think about all those one possessions that don’t go very well,” the John Wood Community College men’s basketball coach said.…
Read MoreNelson’s game-winning buzzer-beater earns QU women spot in GLVC Tournament
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Friday night, during the team dinner for players and parents, Quincy University women’s basketball coach Kaci Bailey gave senior forward Emma Knipe’s parents a solid reassurance more was in store. “I told them, ‘Tomorrow’s not our last game,’” Bailey said. A homegrown senior — Quincy native Sarah Nelson — made sure…
Read MorePhoto gallery: JWCC suffers one-possession loss to Danville in final home game
QUINCY — Fighting for a higher seed in the Region 24 Tournament, the John Wood Community College men’s basketball team suffered a 60-58 loss to nationally ranked Danville Area Community College on Saturday at the Student Activity Center. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured the action courtside in this photo gallery:
Read MoreQU men stumble at finish line, still fight way into GLVC Tournament field
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A win-and-you’re-in scenario didn’t put the Quincy University men’s basketball team in a lose-and-you’re-out situation. That’s a lucky thing. With a chance to secure a spot in the eight-team Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament for the first time since 2017, Quincy stumbled Saturday in a 69-63 loss to Rockhurst at Mason-Halpin…
Read MoreC-SC women overcome slow start offensively, power way into Heart tourney quarterfinals
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Culver-Stockton College women’s basketball team’s ability to find some offensive rhythm enabled it to survive and advance in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament. Trailing by a point after shooting just 26.9 percent from the field in the first quarter, the fifth-seeded Wildcats went 8 of 16 from the…
Read MoreCrim: Postseason fate still in question, but Hawks have undoubtedly made strides in Hawkins’ first season back
QUINCY — As the Great Lakes Valley Conference enters the final week of the basketball regular season, the only certainty on the men’s side is that nationally-ranked Indianapolis will finish first and be the top seed for the league tournament March 2-5 in St. Charles, Mo. Otherwise, we’re left to decipher the GLVC’s rating system…
Read MoreMessage received: Kicked out of locker room and practicing at elementary school, Hawks respond with home victory
QUINCY – Quincy University men’s basketball coach Steve Hawkins didn’t like the way his team responded to a 13-point home loss to William Jewell Thursday night, its third straight defeat and sixth in eight games. He sent a message the following day by locking the players out of their locker room in Pepsi Arena, prohibiting…
Read MoreFirst-half drought too much for John Wood men to overcome in home setback
QUINCY — When you’re a .500 team, you win some and you lose some. You will have good moments and bad moments. The John Wood Community College men’s basketball team lost Saturday afternoon at home to Parkland College 65-62. The Trail Blazers’ record sits at 14-13, and like their season, the contest included good things…
Read MorePhoto gallery: John Wood drops to 14-13 after home loss to Parkland
The John Wood Community College men’s basketball team lost Saturday afternoon at home to Parkland College 65-62, missing a game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Trail Blazers’ record sits at 14-13, and they’re 2-5 in region play. MRN Editor David Adam captured some of the images from the game.
Read MoreBailey ‘proud of the effort’ as QU women lose home finale to Truman State
QUINCY – Quincy University women’s basketball coach Kaci Bailey knew her team was facing a tall order Saturday afternoon in its final home game of the season. Truman State entered the game in Pepsi Arena having won 11 straight games in the series. The Bulldogs began the day as the second-highest scoring team in the…
Read More‘The game got away from us’: Hawks suffer GLVC setback to Prairie Stars
QUINCY — The downcast expression covering Malik Hardmon’s face told the story. So did his words. “The game got away from us, and we paid for it,” he said. The 6-foot-6 senior forward on the Quincy University men’s basketball team did not mince words or offer excuses following Saturday’s 84-74 Great Lakes Valley Conference loss…
Read MoreQU women see GLVC tourney hopes take major hit with lopsided loss to Illinois-Springfield
QUINCY — The math never lies. “It’s tough to come back from 25 points down,” Quincy University women’s basketball coach Kaci Bailey said. And that’s exactly where QU found itself at intermission. Illinois-Springfield, which entered Saturday’s game with a 2-21 record, dominated Quincy from start to finish in posting an 81-59 Great Lakes Valley Conference…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU men, women falter in GLVC play against Illinois-Springfield
QUINCY — The fight to earn a spot in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament became a little tougher for the Quincy University men’s and women’s basketball teams after both suffered setbacks Saturday against Illinois-Springfield at Pepsi Arena. The QU men lost 84-74, while the women were drubbed 81-59. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman…
Read MoreTrail Blazers survive Cougars’ pressure and chaotic pace to capture MWAC victory in OT
QUINCY — Brad Hoyt should have felt comfortable watching his team control the tempo and continuing to knock down shots to open a 19-point lead at home five minutes into the second half. He wasn’t. “It made me nervous,” the John Wood Community College men’s basketball coach admitted. His apprehension proved to be well founded.…
Read MoreNationally ranked Greyhounds deny Hawks chance for season sweep
INDIANAPOLIS — There was no sneaking up on the University of Indianapolis a second time. The Greyhounds outscored the Quincy University men’s basketball team 14-8 over the final four minutes Saturday afternoon to post a 76-70 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory at Nicoson Hall. The victory was the 14th straight for seventh-ranked Indianapolis (20-2, 12-2…
Read MoreRough patch offensively in third quarter costs QU women chance at GLVC road victory
INDIANAPOLIS — One bad quarter was enough to doom the Quincy University women’s basketball team. Trailing by just four points at halftime, the Hawks made only 1 of 12 field goal attempts and scored just four points in the third period Saturday afternoon to fall to the University of Indianapolis 68-58 in Great Lakes Valley…
Read MoreHawks survive close shave with final offensive burst, upend Flyers for GLVC road victory
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. — When several of the Quincy University men’s basketball players decided to shave their heads to nothing but stubble prior to Thursday’s game at Lewis, there were some skeptics. “We tried to get everyone else to do it,” QU junior guard Paul Zilinskas said. “They were a little scared.” They may not have…
Read MoreQU women rally after tough start, fall short in GLVC loss at Lewis
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. — A ragged start offensively made a comeback a challenge, but the Quincy University women’s basketball team nearly pulled it off. After trailing Lewis by as many as 14 points in the first half of Thursday night’s Great Lakes Valley Conference game at Neil Carey Arena, the Hawks trimmed the deficit to one…
Read MoreCrim: Matas Martin’s play is pointing QU women’s basketball team in right direction
QUINCY — Kaci Bailey inherited 14 players on a team coming off a two-win season when she was hired as the Quincy University women’s basketball coach in April 2021. Not the ideal recipe for immediate success. “It was late in the recruiting cycle, and I told the coaches we needed to try to sign a…
Read MoreFrustrated by fouls, Foster fuels final flourish as Hawks snap three-game losing streak
QUINCY — Sitting on the bench tested Isaiah Foster’s patience. Three fouls limited the freshman guard to just 4 minutes, 35 seconds of playing time Saturday until he checked into the game with 11:40 remaining in the second half. Foster helped the Quincy University men’s basketball team go on a 10-point run to take the…
Read More‘It’s just super exciting’: Matas Martin scores 33 as QU women reach double digits in victories for first time in seven seasons
QUINCY — Sarah Nelson remembers the bad times, which makes it so much easier to enjoy the good times. In Nelson’s first three seasons, the Quincy University women’s basketball team had an 18-59 record and a 10-50 record in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The Hawks now have won three of their last four GLVC…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU men stay in third-place tie in GLVC standings by knocking off Maryville
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s basketball team ended a three-game slide and stayed in third place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference with Saturday’s 70-62 victory over Maryville at Pepsi Arena. Muddy River News Editor David Adam sat courtside and put together this photo gallery:
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Quincy University women pick up 10th victory by defeating Maryville
QUINCY — The Quincy University women’s basketball team picked up its 10th victory of the season — the most since the 2015-16 season — with Saturday’s 84-78 victory over Maryville at Pepsi Arena. Muddy River News Editor David Adam sat courtside and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreStruggles shooting from perimeter lead to Hawks suffering third consecutive loss
LEBANON, Ill. — It’s a fact as immutable as gravity — the ball must go through the hoop to win. Right now, the Quincy University men’s basketball team is struggling with that, at least from beyond the 3-point stripe. The Hawks shot just 6.7 percent from 3-point range Thursday night, making only 1 of 15…
Read MoreQU women unable to extend win streak, let game slip away in final two minutes
LEBANON, Ill. — The Quincy University women’s basketball team has yet to reach February, and already the Hawks have matched the most victories they’ve enjoyed in the last seven seasons. Still, there is another significant step needed in their evolution. The Hawks must sustain success. It eluded them Thursday night. Chasing just the second three-game…
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