Raiders tighten defensive clamps, record 10th straight victory over Pittsfield

January 8, 2022 | By David Adam, MRN Editor

Pittsfield's Nate Scranton, left, looks for help while being guarded by Quincy Notre Dame's Jackson Stratton, center, and Braden Sheffield during Friday night's basketball game at Voshall Gym in Pittsfield. | David Adam

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Offensively, work must still be be done.

But the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team has been pretty stingy defensively of late.

Pittsfield missed 23 of 35 shots from the field, and the Raiders forced 18 turnovers in a 43-31 victory on Friday night at Voshall Gym. QND has won 10 straight games against the Saukees and 26 out of the last 29 games.

The Raiders unveiled a full-court press during the State Farm Classic in Bloomington, and they used it for all 32 minutes against Pittsfield. QND has allowed an average of just 36.7 points in its last six games.

The press led to eight first-quarter turnovers, and only 1-for-8 free-throw shooting in the first eight minutes kept the Raiders from taking more than a 13-4 lead. A steal and a layup by Alex Connoyer, followed by two free throws from Jackson Stratton, put the Raiders ahead 17-4 early in the second quarter.

“This has the making of being a really, really good defensive team,” Notre Dame coach Kevin Meyer said. “I jumped their tails earlier this week. We are going to be a pressing team, and I told them I’m going to make them press. We’re going to find five guys who want to run around out there.

“I thought Braden (Sheffield) was electric at the front of the press. So were our guys on the back of the press. We’re cleaning some stuff up. Good defense leads into good offense and gets us a chance to run a little bit.”

“When you have nearly 20 turnovers, you don’t have a chance to beat many teams, let alone Notre Dame,” Saukees coach Brad Tomhave said. “We can’t shy away from the pressure, and I thought we missed a lot of open cuts in the first quarter where we had guys cut into the basket. Some of that probably is the pressure (QND was) putting on us. Kudos to them. Our guys have got to do a better job.”

Carter Klatt’s three-point play off an offensive rebound finally gave the Pittsfield offense a spark with 5:34 remaining in the second quarter. The Saukees scored 11 of the last 13 points of the half, with Nate Scranton’s shot from the lane getting them with 19-15 at halftime.

“(Pittsfield) just breaks you down and makes you guard,” Meyer said.

QND re-established control in the third quarter, forcing four turnovers and five missed shots as the Saukees didn’t score for the first five minutes. The Raiders scored the first seven points of the half, and after Klatt scored to end Pittsfield’s drought, Calvin Lavery’s three-point play gave the Raiders their biggest lead of the night at 29-17.

Pittsfield couldn’t get closer than seven points thereafter. The Raiders made six of nine free throws in the final three minutes to put the game away.

Pittsfield’s Adam Musgrave asks for a timeout while QND’s Braden Sheffield looks at the official

Jake Wallingford led the Raiders (9-6) with 12 points.

“Our athleticism, our length and our size gives us opportunities to get out in passing lanes,” Meyer said. “Three weeks ago, we had four (defensive) deflections in one game. Last night (against Western) we had 25. Tonight, I guarantee we were in double digits again. I definitely think we’re taking that in the right direction.

Nate Scranton had 14 and Klatt added 12, but the rest of the Saukees contributed two baskets.

“Forty-three points is where we want to be defensively, and we’re starting to see glimpses of guys stepping up and taking some scoring initiative,” Tomhave said. “Nate really stepped up a little more than what he was earlier. He’s doing the best he can. But we also had some goose eggs from some key contributors tonight.”

Tomhave put sophomore Ronne Thelander in the starting lineup. A manager for the team, Thelander missed his first shot, but after an offensive rebound from a teammate, he took another shot and made it. Pittsfield allowed Sheffield to score a layup to tie the score, and then Thelander left the floor to a rousing ovation.

It was Thelander’s last game with the team. His family is moving out of the school district.

“He’s a really good kid who we’re gonna miss,” Tomhave said. “It’s just not just being around us on the basketball team, but in the school community. He is a breath of fresh air. We were fortunate to be around a kid like him. He’s a pretty cool dude.”