Shooting down records: Talton breaks Douglas’ single-season 3-point mark as Blue Devil romp

QUINCY — Had Andy Douglas wanted to keep his single-season 3-point shooting record just a little while longer, he could have benched Jeremiah Talton after the senior sharpshooter made his fifth trey Tuesday night.

“I should have,” Douglas said with a laugh. “That would have been hilarious.”

Even if Douglas had taken Talton out, he wouldn’t have sat long.

“I would have put him right back in,” Douglas said.

Instead of any comical theatrics, the Quincy High School boys basketball coach stuck to the original script allowed Talton to finish the first half against Rock Island Alleman on the floor, thus giving way to the new king of the trey.

The 6-foot-6 Talton made seven 3-pointers in the first half of the Blue Devils’ 66-33 Western Big 6 Conference victory at Blue Devil Gym, eclipsing the single-season record of 68 3-pointers Douglas made during the 1999-2000 season when he made his 69th with 2 minutes to go before halftime.

“I’m happy I got to break it my senior year,” Talton said. “I’m thankful and I give all the glory to God.”

The seven 3-pointers in a half are also a program record, and he extended his career 3-pointer record to 194 makes. Talton also could have challenged Jacob Jobe’s single-game record of 10 3-pointers had he played at all in the second half, but he didn’t get off the bench the final 16 minutes.

“He probably could have had that easily tonight,” Douglas said. “But I told the players at halftime, it’s a little bigger than breaking records tonight. I thought our guys played with class. We wanted to get everybody in and not allow our offense and defense to not get too sloppy.

“I thought they did a nice job of concentrating on that.”

The Blue Devils (18-4, 9-0 WB6) also did a solid job of assisting Talton in his record pursuit.

“That’s kind of been us when we’ve been successful, and that’s finding the hot hand,” Douglas said. “While it took him a couple of shots to get going, he was knocking them down. Everybody knew he was seven off. I told him I want you to break it here. If you’re going to break it, break it at home.”

Talton missed his first two attempts, but buried a trey from the left corner with 5:35 remaining in the first quarter for a 5-0 lead. He hit two more as part of a game-opening 26-0 run as the Pioneers didn’t score until 10 seconds remained in the first quarter.

Those two early missed didn’t deter Talton.

“I’m a shooter, so I’m going to keep shooting the same shot every time,” Talton said.

He made 3-pointers from the right wing and the top of the key by the middle of the second quarter and he tied Douglas’ record with a trey from the left wing with 2:24 to go in the half. On the next possession, he made another shot from the right wing to break the mark.

“(Douglas) let me know the number,” Talton said. “I was going to go try to break it. He told me seven’s the goal and after that just to cut it off.”

Talton finished 7 of 11 from 3-poin t range with 25 points as the Blue Devils led 50-12 at halftime.

“I found my shot and my rhythm,” Talton said. “I’m glad I got to break it.”

So was his coach.

“I’m elated,” Douglas said. “It’s not a surprise to me. I thought it was going to happen last year, but the season got cut short. I couldn’t be more happy and proud of the young man he’s become and obviously the basketball player he’s become.

“He’s been such a blessing to me and to our program. You just don’t get kids like that to come around that often. When you have them, you have to enjoy every moment you have with them. We’ve done that.”