Despite impressive record, QU women getting no respect in NCAA Division II Midwest Region poll

ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The Quincy University women’s basketball team probably ought to be in consideration for an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional next week.

Surprisingly, they’re not.

Friday night’s 74-69 victory over Missouri S&T at Hyland Arena in the quarterfinals of the Great Lakes Valley Tournament improved the Hawks’ record to 23-7. However, that mark isn’t good enough to merit a spot in the top 10 in the region, despite having a better record than seven of the teams in the top 10. Eight Midwest Region teams will be selected to participate in next week’s NCAA Tournament.

“We haven’t been there for so long that people forgot who we were,” Hawks coach Courtney Boyd said after Friday’s victory.

Quincy is guaranteed of its first winning season since going 25-6 in 2015-16 under Jeni Garber. The Hawks lost to Bellarmine in the title game of the GLVC Tournament that season, then lost to Drury in the first round of the NCAA Regional.

Participating in postseason play once used to be a regular occurrence for the Hawks. They qualified for the NCAA Tournament 10 times from 2003 to 2016. 

“There’s something to be said for going every single year, and you’re going to have that respect because you’ve gone,” Boyd said. “You go and you prove what you are. I just keep telling this team that we will believe in ourselves, and eventually people will believe in us. There’s something to be said for just continuing to stick to the game plan and play their butt off for each other.”

Since that last NCAA Tournament appearance, Quincy has suffered through eight consecutive losing seasons. 

The latest Midwest Region poll on March 2 didn’t show much love for the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Lewis, the No. 1 seed at this weekend’s conference tournament, is the only GLVC team in the region’s top 10. The Flyers (26-2), ranked No. 4 in the region, play Maryville in the first GLVC semifinal on Saturday.

The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has five of the 10 teams ranked in the region poll. Grand Valley State is 30-2, the top seed in the GLIAC Tournament, ranked No. 2 in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association poll and expected to be the host school for next week’s region tournament.

The four semifinalists in the GLIAC Tournament are all ranked, but none of them have a record as good as Quincy’s. Northern Michigan (22-7) is No. 3, Wayne State (19-10) is No. 6 and Ferris State (20-10) is ranked No. 8.

Ashland (29-3), ranked No. 2 in the region, faces No. 7 Hillsdale (21-8) in Saturday’s championship game in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament. No. 5-ranked Malone (22-8) lost in the semifinals of the GMAC Tournament, and No. 9-ranked Findlay (20-10) lost in the first round. 

Drury (22-6) finished second in the GLVC but also is not ranked in the region poll, making Saturday night’s semifinal game against Quincy critical for either team if it hopes to earn an at-large bid. (The winner of the GLVC Tournament earns an automatic bid to the region tournament.) Drury and QU have split games this year, with each team winning on its home floor.

Both Drury and Quincy have road losses to Grand Valley State. Quincy also lost early in the season in Hawaii to Fort Hays State, which was ranked No. 5 nationally at the time.

Two early-season losses could be a big reason why the Hawks have not received any interest from the Midwest Region voters. QU lost 65-64 to Roosevelt University, a GLIAC team which finished 12-15, on Nov. 15 on its home floor. The Hawks also lost 88-84 to Upper Iowa, a GLVC team that finished 13-14, at Fayette, Ind., on Dec. 2.

“Nobody wants to see Quincy win,” junior guard Mikayla Huffine said after Friday’s victory. “We’ve been doing a lot of big things that people didn’t think that we were going to do. Now we’re doing it, and everyone plays their best game against us.”

So why aren’t the Hawks getting more respect in the region?

“Don’t know. Beats me,” Huffine said as she shrugged her shoulders.

Senior Nicole McDermott says it’s her team’s job to take care of its own business.

“Nobody’s expecting us to do what we’re doing right now, and Quincy doesn’t have the best reputation with the national tournament and all that,” she said Friday. “We’re just trying to prove ourselves, and we trust each other and what we’re doing. We’re just super excited to see who can do what the next two games.

“You know what? If we win (the conference tournament), then we get in automatically. Our mindset is screw everybody else. Let’s prove it, and let’s get it done.”

NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Midwest Region poll for March 2