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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Raiders settle in defensively, pull away from Crimsons to earn spot in Class 3A regional title tilt

Quincy Notre Dame sophomore forward Tristan Pieper scored a game-high 24 points in Monday's victory over Jacksonville in the Class 3A regional semifinals in Jerseyville, Ill. | Muddy River Sports file photo

JERSEYVILLE, Ill. — A minute into Monday night’s Class 3A Jerseyville Regional semifinal, Jacksonville led the top-seeded Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team 4-2 and maybe saw a glimmer of hope it could pull off an upset. That faded fast. The Raiders went on a 9-0 run to take the lead and then held the…

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Sweet Sixteen: Pieper turns in 19-point performance on birthday as QND girls edge Clopton

Quincy Notre Dame's Tristan Pieper looks to shoot over Clopton's Ashlyn Noah during Friday night's high school girls basketball game at the KHQA Superfan Shootout in the Pit. | David Adam

QUINCY — There are not many better ways for a 16-year-old to celebrate her birthday than to spend it with her friends. Tristan Pieper’s friends took care of her Friday night.  Pieper, a sophomore, led all scorers with 19 points as the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team fought off Clopton 44-37 at the American…

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Pieper helps QND girls pull away in second half to defeat South Shelby

Tristan Pieper, shown in a game earlier this season against Highland (Ill.), scored 16 points on Thursday night against South Shelby. | MRN File photo

SHELBINA, Mo. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team held South Shelby to just 16 points in the second half in posting a 53-40 victory on Thursday night. The Raiders led 27-24 at halftime, and they made a concerted effort to get the ball inside to Tristan Pieper. She scored eight of her game-high…

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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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In-your-face defense never goes out of style for QND girls basketball team

Quincy Notre Dame’s Jenna Durst, background left, and Marie Eversman force a jump ball with Belleville Althoff’s Emilee Travnicek during Friday night’s girls basketball game in the Gully Transportation Shootout in The Pit. | David Adam photo

QUINCY — The players may graduate, but the in-your-face style the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball program plays year-to-year doesn’t seem to go anywhere. The Raiders’ suffocating defense once again was on display in their 52-27 win over Belleville Althoff in Friday’s start to the two-night Gully Transportation Shootout at The Pit. QND (3-0) forced…

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Raiders’ balance offensively puts Chiefs’ defense in bind in super-sectional matchup

Quincy Notre Dame freshman forward Tristan Pieper scored six points off the bench Monday night in helping the Raiders beat Deer Creek-Mackinaw 51-23 in the Class 2A Macomb Super-Sectional at The Hangar. | Matt Schuckman photo

MACOMB, Ill. — A year ago, Tristan Pieper had to watch somewhat from afar as the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team won the Class 2A state championship. “The very top of the student section,” Pieper said of her seat in Redbird Arena. The view will be quite different this year. “Of course, it will,”…

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QND underclassmen seize opportunity for playing time, develop some long-term confidence

Quincy Notre Dame freshman forward Tristan Pieper applies defensive pressure during the second half of Monday night's 64-22 victory over Rushville-Industry at The Pit. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The day is coming, and the underclassmen on the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team are keenly aware of it. Abbey Schreacke, Blair Eftink and the rest of the seniors who have engineered a remarkable run of success for Class 2A’s defending state champion and current No. 1-ranked team will graduate. That’s when…

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