It would have been easy for the Quincy High School boys basketball team to sit back and think aloud things would have been different had the Blue Devils been completely healthy. Maybe they wouldn’t have lost 57-51 to Marion or been knocked out of the 26th annual Collinsville/Schnucks Holiday Classic after just three games.

Maybe, but this team isn’t dwelling on maybes. The Blue Devils are putting more stock in what took place, and that’s finishing with a 1-2 record despite being the tournament’s top seed.

“I think we could have done a lot better,” senior guard Alex Miklius said. “We could have gotten to the championship round.”

So instead of walking out of Vergil Fletcher Gym encouraged by the effort and the fact they battled so hard with a short-handed lineup, the Blue Devils were frustrated.

“It’s frustrating because I thought we played pretty well both days,” Quincy coach Sean Taylor said. “There were just some mistakes we couldn’t overcome. We have to go back to work and get better.”

All hands on deck

Five players who hadn’t seen action in the tournament wound playing significant minutes, especially Andre Givens and Austin Beebe. They were asked to handle the ball and direct the offense after Isaiah Johnson fouled out with a ittle less than five minutes.

For being thrown to the fire, they handled themselves well.

“Everybody who got in played hard,” senior forward Nick Doellman said. “They battled the entire time.”

Santa wears blue

Santa Claus knew exactly what to get Taylor’s son, Kyle, for Christmas. That’s his own Blue Devil uniform, complete with jersey and shorts.

Kyle unveiled the Christmas gift Monday against Granite City and wore it each of the three games. The best part is it’s reversible, so when the Blue Devils are wearing their home whites, Kyle has his own white uniform. When they hit the road, he has a matching blue uniform.

His number? It’s 20.

Things you don’t expect to see

After the tournament’s first two days, the statisticians put together a three-page report of individual and team leaders. And there, at the bottom of the third page, is where you’ll find the list for free throw defense.

Trust me, that’s not a typo. They created a category which ranks teams based on how well their opponents shoot free throws. I’m still not sure how you defend a free throw, but as one of my colleagues along press row suggested, it’s a list of the best smack talkers.

Ironically, Quincy’s first two opponents top the list. Opponents are hitting just 45.2 percent against Granite City and 50 percent against Springfield Southeast. It should be no surprise then the Blue Devils rank 10th in free-throw shooting at 56.3 percent.

The boxscore

Marion 57, Quincy 51
MARION (9-6)
Player    fg-fga    ft-fta    reb    pf    pts
Stucky    1-4    5-6    3    2    7
Mieldezis    1-2    0-0    1    0    3
Adeoye    4-11    0-1    8    2    8
Powe    2-6    2-4    3    3    6
Waldrop    3-5    7-9    7    3    13
Ellis    4-7    1-2    7    5    9
Luckett    2-2    2-3    3    3    6
Clark    2-5    1-4    0    2    5
Team            7
Totals    19-42    18-29    39    20    57
QUINCY (8-3)
Player    fg-fga    ft-fta    reb    pf    pts
Johnson    2-11    3-4    5    5    7
VonderHaar    4-12    0-0    2    5    8
Marold    1-1    0-0    0    0    2
Gay    3-13    3-8    7    1    10
Doellman    2-8    2-4    10    2    6
Miklius    4-12    4-6    4    2    13
Davis    2-9    1-2    7    2    5
Dean    0-0    0-0    0    0    0
Givens    0-0    0-0    1    3    0
Beebe    0-1    0-0    2    3    0
Behrens    0-1    0-0    0    0    0
Kendrick    0-0    0-0    0    0    0
Team            3
Totals    18-68    13-24    41    23    51
Marion    13    15    13    16—57
Quincy    7    14    10    20—51
3-point field goals—Marion 1-4 (Mieldezis 1-2, Stucky 0-1, Clark 0-1), Quincy 2-15 (Miklius 1-8, Gay 1-4, VonderHaar 0-2, Johnson 0-1). Assists—Marion 9 (Stucky, Powe, Luckett 2), Quincy 8 (Johnson 3). Steals—Marion 7 (Stucky, Powe 2), Quincy 15 (Johnson 4). Blocked shots—Marion 3 (Adeoye, Waldrop, Ellis). Turnovers—Marion 27, Quincy 14. Officials—Kevin Jones, Jef Luehmann, Steve Ficker.

The Quincy High School boys basketball team has only one Central State Eight Conference opponent left on its schedule — the Blue Devils play at Jacksonville on Feb. 13 — and will need a victory in order to keep from going winless against the league.

The Blue Devils better play big on the boards in that game.

Quincy suffered its second loss of the season Tuesday, falling 68-59 to Springfield Southeast in the quarterfinals of the 26th annual Collinsville/Schnucks Holiday Classic. Similar to their other loss to a CS8 team, the Blue Devils were outrebounded.

Southeast owned a 40-28 edge in the boards, led by 6-foot-5 senior Willie Brooks with 12 rebounds and 6-4 Michael Chandler with 11. It was reminiscent of the way Springfield’s Willie Wiley pulled down 13 rebounds in a 67-58 victory against Quincy on Dec. 12.

Quincy has outrebounded its opponents in its eight victories.

A crooked smile

Quincy forward Zach Forbes will have to visit a dentist after having two teeth chipped when he took an elbow to the mouth in the first half against Southeast. It’s not the first time, though, he’s had his smile adjusted.

Back in September, in a Western Big Six Conference soccer game at Moline, Forbes got caught with a head butt to the mouth and went to the hospital where he needed seven stitches to close a gap in his upper lip.

Forbes, who suffered the gash in the first half, actually returned from the hospital, got back in the game with a minute left in regulation and set up the game-winning goal in overtime of Quincy’s 1-0 victory.

Ending a streak

Quincy’s 52-36 victory over Granite City on Monday night was the Warriors’ 11th straight loss in tournament play, but the streak ended there Tuesday. Granite City beat Madison 60-46, getting 10 points and 11 rebounds from freshman Devin Narvaez.

Granite City hadn’t won in the Collinsville/Schnucks Holiday Classic since beating Riverview Gardens 50-43.

It’s a significant step forward for second-year Granite City coach Steve Roustio, the son of former Jacksonville coach Mel Roustio. Steve Roustio graduated from Jacksonville in 1980 after starting for three years and earning all-state honors, and last year, he took over a program that hasn’t had a winning season in more than a decade.

Since winning a regional title in 2002, the Warriors have won just 28 games overall, including a 2-7 record this season.

Honoring a referee

Gary Gustafson, a long-time official from Troy, Ill., was honored Tuesday night for his commitment to the game and recovery from a heart attack. Gustafson suffered a heart attack while working the tournament’s championship game last year, but he has returned to officiate games this season, his 35th overall.

Gustafson is scheduled to work the championship game Wednesday night.

Honoring a helping hand

The Collinsville tournament committee is naming the championship trophy in honor of Frank Pitol, who spent 14 seasons as an assistant coach to Vergil Fletcher at Collinsville and later served as the Kahoks’ athletic director. Pitol died Aug. 22 at age 79.

Pitol helped start the Collinsville/Schnucks Holiday Classic and wrote the book “The Wonderful World of Collinsville Basketball,” which chronicled Fletcher’s entire career (1946-78) as well as previous seasons.

The boxscore

Collinsville/Schnucks Holiday Classic
Springfield Southeast 68, Quincy 59
QUINCY (8-2)
Player    fg-fga    ft-fta    reb    pf    pts
Miklius    3-5    0-0    2    2    7
Johnson    7-13    0-1    3    2    16
Forbes    9-22    3-6    6    1    22
VonderHaar    2-7    2-2    2    3    6
Gay    0-2    0-0    4    0    0
Marold    0-2    0-0    1    0    0
Doellman    4-6    0-1    2    4    8
Davis    0-2    0-0    1    4    0
Team            7
Totals    25-59    5-10    28    16    59
SOUTHEAST (4-5)
Player    fg-fga    ft-fta    reb    pf    pts
Jag. Anderson    0-1    0-0    0    1    0
Jac. Anderson    3-13    0-1    2    4    6
Brooks    4-9    6-6    12    2    14
Smith    4-8    4-6    5    3    12
Chandler    8-9    3-4    11    4    19
Kincaid    0-0    0-0    0    2    0
Gardner    3-5    0-0    4    0    7
Akuko    1-2    0-0    1    0    2
Senor    2-5    2-2    0    2    8
Team            6
Totals    25-52    15-19    40    18    68
Quincy    11    20    12    16—59
Southeast    10    16    14    28—68
3-point field goals—Quincy 4-13 (Johnson 2-2, Forbes 1-4, Miklius 1-3, VonderHaar 0-2, Gay 0-1, Marold 0-1), Southeast 3-12 (Senor 2-5, Gardner 1-2, Jac. Anderson 0-4, Smith 0-1). Assists—Quincy 8 (Miklius, Forbes 3), Southeast 11 (Smith 4). Steals—Quincy 6 (Marold 2), Southeast 7 (Smith 3). Blocked shots—Quincy 1 (Forbes), Southeast 3 (Chandler 2). Turnovers—Quincy 19, Southeast 17. Officials—Ken Church, Bob Cole, Jim Lomas.

Nick Doellman knows he has one edge in a matchup in the post.

That’s brute strength.

Doellman, an All-Western Big Six Conference defensive end on Quincy High School’s football team, didn’t score a point as the QHS boys basketball team opened play Monday in the 26th annual Collinsville/Schnucks Holiday Classic with a 52-36 victory over Granite City.

The 6-foot-3 senior forward did pull down three rebounds and collect three fouls, but his primary responsibility and most critical contribution was outmuscling the Warriors. He pushed around 6-5 sophomore forward Marcus Mason and leaned on freshman forward Devin Narvaez.

Ultimately, it took a toll. The two Granite City big men combined for 13 points, but neither scored the final 11 minutes and Narvaez didn’t score in the second half.

“On any team we play, there is nobody stronger than Nick,” Quincy’s Zach Forbes said. “That’s what you have to do. The kid was big. Nick just pushed him off the post, got position on him and he couldn’t do anything.”

Those are the challenges Doellman enjoys.

“I don’t play many people who are stronger than me,” Doellman said. “But I might not be the most athletic. So I take it as a challenge.”

Paying off

Robert Gay committed himself during the offseason to becoming a better shooter, but he hadn’t really been able to showcase it through Quincy’s first eight games. He had made just 4 of 15 3-pointers, but it didn’t discourage him.

Good thing.

Gay knocked down 3 of 5 treys to give a lethargic Quincy offense a boost in the first half. Surprisingly, Gay missed what had become his signature shot — a drive from the wing where he elevates and banks in a floating 10-footer. But he stills need to be productive off the dribble and hitting the floating shot to make this team dangerous.

The ability to knock down threes is a bonus.

Change the CD

Just after the teams went to the locker room for their final pre-game instructions, the public address announcer asked everyone to rise, remove their hats and cover their hearts for the playing of the national anthem.

And then … the wedding march began.

Someone played the wrong track on a CD and had to quickly adjust. It took less than a minute before the “Star-Spangled Banner” began playing and the attention could finally turn to the game.

Time to kill

Pushed into the upper half of the bracket with the No. 1 seed, the Blue Devils have plenty of time to kill before heading to Vergil Fletcher Gym for Tuesday’s 6:30 p.m. quarterfinal tilt with Springfield Southeast.

So what will they do?

A shootaround is on the docket. Other than that, maybe a trip to nearby mall. Mostly, though, they’ll be playing games on an Xbox system. And as Forbes noted, they get to sleep in late.

The Boxscore

Collinsville/Schnucks Holiday Classic
Quincy 52, Granite City 36
GRANITE CITY (1-7)
Player    fg-fga    ft-fta    reb    pf    pts
Crochell    2-6    0-0    1    4    5
McNeil    2-5    0-0    2    1    4
Mason    5-10    0-0    6    1    10
Scruggs    6-8    0-0    4    3    12
Narvaez    1-3    1-2    6    0    3
Ike    1-4    0-2    2    2    2
Newby    0-1    0-0    0    0    0
Wilson    0-0    0-0    0    0    0
Team            5
Totals    17-37    1-4    26    11    36
QUINCY (8-1)
Player    fg-fga    ft-fta    reb    pf    pts
Miklius    0-1    0-0    1    0    0
Johnson    4-7    2-2    6    2    10
Forbes    7-16    2-4    7    2    18
VonderHaar    5-12    0-0    3    1    13
Gay    3-8    0-0    3    2    9
Davis    0-1    0-0    1    2    0
Marold    1-5    0-0    3    0    2
Doellman    0-3    0-0    2    3    0
Team            2
Totals    20-53    4-6    28    12    52
Granite City    6    13    10    7—36
Quincy    11    14    10    17—52
3-point field goals—Granite City 1-5 (Crochell 1-2, Scruggs 0-1, Ike 0-1, Newby 0-1), Quincy 8-21 (VonderHaar 3-6, Gay 3-5, Forbes 2-6, Marold 0-3, Miklius 0-1). Assists—Granite City 5 (Mason, Scruggs 2), Quincy 12 (Miklius, Johnson 4). Steals—Granite City 4 (McNeil 2), Quincy 9 (Johnson 3). Blocked shots—Granite City 1 (Mason), Quincy  3 (Davis 2). Turnovers—Granite City 22, Quincy 11.

The Quincy High School boys basketball team is the No. 1 seed at the Collinsville/Schnucks Holiday Classic, but don’t assume that means an easy trip to the title game.

Quincy coach Sean Taylor called the field balanced and talented. And he’s right. There are a handful of teams capable of playing for the championship, which is scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday at Vergil Fletcher Gym.

So let’s take a look at the field:

Lincoln — The No. 2 seed has only one blemish on its resume, and that’s a loss to the best team in Class 3A. The Railers fell 46-37 to Champaign Centennial in the title game of Lincoln’s Eaton Electrical Round Robin Tournament.

The Railers (7-1) play a 1-2-2 zone press Lincoln coach Neil Alexander learned from former Quincy coach Loren Wallace. But don’t think the Railers only play defense. They can shoot with the best of them. Jordan Nelson, a junior guard, has hit a 3-pointer in 34 consecutive games and scored in double figures in 11 straight games. Ben Brackney, a 6-foot-5 senior who has signed with Bucknell, has scored in double figures in 12 consecutive games and scored more than 800 points in his career.

Meanwhile, Alexander, who is in his 20th season at Lincoln, has 595 career victories.

Belleville Althoff — Few teams fill it up the way the third-seeded Crusaders do. Althoff opened the season by scoring 106 points against Rochester and is averaging 71.4 points per game. Cahokia is the only other team in the South Seven Conference even averaging 60 points.

The Crusaders (6-3) have four players averaging in double figures, led by Carson Sonnenberg at 16.2 points per game, and they like to pound the ball inside and get to the line. Althoff is averaging 22 free-throw attempts per game and shooting 72.3 percent.

Two of Althoff’s three losses came to Champaign Centennial (71-63) and Lincoln (53-50).

Marion — The fourth-seeded Wildcats bring a formidible frontcourt to Collinsville, led by 6-foot-6 junior Aaron Adeoye, who is averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds. It includes a 21-point, 19-rebound performance against Massac County.

“He has improved exponentially, and his work ethic in the summer was great,” Marion coach Aaron Mattox told the Southern Illinoisan. “His confidence offensively on the block is much better, and he still has his best basketball ahead of him.”

Adeoye’s emergence and the play of 6-5 forward Bryan Waldrop have eased the pain of losing Nick Lewis, a 6-6 senior forward, for the season. Lewis, who earned first-team all-conference honors last season, suffered a knee injury.

Collinsville — First-year coach Darin Lee, who formerly coached at Nashville, got off to quite a state. He led the Kahoks to victory in four of their first five games before hitting a rough patch with three consecutive losses to three quality teams — East St. Louis, Edwardsville and O’Fallon.

The Kahoks righted things with a 71-61 victory over Alton.

Daryn Foster leads Collinsville (6-4) in scoring at 16.3 points, including a career-high 27 points against Alton. Rob Fernandez is the only other Kahok averaging in double figures at 10.2 points per game.

Belleville East — Coming off a super-sectional appearance and a xx-xx victory over Quincy in last year’s Pekin Sectional championship, the Lancers have lost four of their last five games. That includes a 20-point loss to unbeaten O’Fallon.

Thomas Poston, a 6-3 swingman, is proving once again he can play above the rim. He had two alley-oop dunks in a 58-56 victory over Belleville West and is averaging 10.6 points. Joe Gilmore leads the Lancers in scoring at 12.4 points per game.

Decatur Eisenhower — The Panthers have a new coach in Eric Newbon and an NCAA Division I recruit in 6-3 guard Jarod Oldham, but it’s been a struggle to find consistency. Eisenhower is 2-6 and struggles against bigger teams, but the Panthers are quick and athletic, which could cause some teams problems.

Chatham Glenwood — The Titans (4-4) started the season with seven consecutive road games, finally getting the chance to play in its own gym last Saturday night when the Titans beat Bethalto Civic Memorial 52-38.

“It’s a comfort level,” Glenwood coach Todd Blakeman told the Springfield State Journal-Register. “You’re in your environment, the (fans) come out. It’s nice to relax.”

Madison — The Trojans were ranked among the top 10 teams in Class 1A in the preseason poll and suffered their first loss to Murphysboro and could present matchup problems because of their quickness.

Madison isn’t just a backcourt team, even though senior guard Kendall Echols and sophomore guard Torian Gregory are quality 3-point shooters. The Trojans can throw the ball inside to 6-3 forward Xavier Williams, an honorable mention all-stater last season, and 6-5 senior Eric Mason.

The Trojans won the 12th annual Lebanon/McKendree Thanksgiving Tournament.

Sunday afternoon, I filled in for Don O’Brien as the color analyst during the ESPN 1440 broadcast of the QU/Subway Holiday Tournament championship game between Quincy University and Mesa State.

After the Hawks won 76-66 to improve to 10-0 and match the best start in school history, according to the QU sports information office, several things occurred to me, such as …

• Josh Edmonds needed to be recognized as the MVP of the tournament. OK, he led QU in scoring against Mesa State and was one of four Hawks in double figures against Truman State. Nevermind that. The defensive job he did against both Mike Dominguez and Brian Kenshalo was impressive.

Dominguez was averaging 19.7 points and went off for 33 points in Saturday’s victory over Central State. Well, he finished with just nine points against QU and just two when Edmonds was guarding him. No one plays harder than Edmonds and his effort is infectious.

• The Hawks are going to be tough to score against in the GLVC because they play so long with athletic guards like Billy Baptist and Mookie Pierre, who create matchup problems. QU’s point guard play wasn’t great — 20 turnovers could prove costly in conference games — but that isn’t the norm.

Don O’Brien’s pre-tournament story was about the effectiveness of Courtney Belger and Billy Hayes sharing the point guard responsibilities. The Hawks will see more of the good, less of the bad as time goes along.

• I dare teams to get into a free-throw shooting contest with the Hawks. They step to the line confident and take their shots in a good rhythm. It’s no surprise they knock a high percentage down.

• Where was the crowd? Two nationally-ranked teams were playing in the title game of what was once a destination tournament and the arena was barely half full. I realize this is the holiday season, but if you’re a basketball fan, you’re missing out. This is as good as it gets in terms of talent and competition.

The question came up Monday morning during a commercial break of WGEM SportsCenter, which can be heard from 7-9 a.m. Monday-Friday on ESPN 1440 AM, and it’s had me putting a list together ever since.

Who are my favorite college football players?

The subject was broached because Turner Gill, the former Nebraska quarterback, was hired to be the head coach at the University of Kansas. I said Gill was one of my favorite Nebraska players of all-time, ranking right up there with Mike Rozier.

I joked (half-heartedly but somewhat meaningfully) that Gill falls to the bottom of the list since he’ll be coaching in Lawrence. That was the Mizzou fan in me coming to the forefront.

As for the college football fan, Gill is still pretty high on my list, but he doesn’t crack the top five. Here are the five college players I’ve enjoyed watching the most (remember I was born in 1973 and didn’t start watching the gridiron games intently until 1980 or so):

1. Herschel Walker, University of Georgia

One of my two favorite football players of all-time (Tony Dorsett is the other), Walker, right, grabbed my attention because he could run over and away from defenders. As strong as he was fast, Walker epitomized everything you want in a game-breaking back.

2. Chuck Long, University of Iowa

Blame my aunt, Colleen Connell, for this one. She lives in Bettendorf, Iowa, is a diehard Hawkeyes fan and bought me a Hawkeyes football and Long jersey back in the day. He was good, finishing second to Bo Jackson in a tightly-contested Heisman Trophy race. His big arm made him an effective, efficient quarterback.

3. Keith Jackson, University of Oklahoma

The legendary broadcaster of the same name likely uttered “Whoa, Nellie” a few times watching the Sooners tight end. Jackson, right, was big and mean with great hands, surprising speed and a knack for making big plays. He was voted OU’s Offensive Player of the Decade for the 1980s.

4. Corby Jones, University of Missouri

It’s difficult not to put a Mizzou player on this list since I covered so many of their games over the years. Jones was one of my favorites, on and off the field. Gracious when he talked to reporters and gritty dancing away from tacklers, Jones played a pivotal part in Mizzou’s turnaround after so many years of losing.

5. Simeon Rice, University of Illinois

Playing against Missouri in 1994 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Rice hit Tigers quarterback Jeff Handy so hard on a sack that it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if his facemask left on imprint on Handy’s chest. Quick off the ball and a physical beast, Rice was a two-time All-American and a great outside linebacker.

Obviously, my picks have a regional bias because those are the schools I saw of often growing up. There are a handful of others who could have made this list and even more (Tony Dorsett, Earl Campbell, etc.) who I would have loved to have seen play.

So who makes your list? Post your list in the comments section below or e-mail me your top five to mschuckman@whig.com.

Welcome to Kansas, Turner Gill.

Now leave.

That’s the message a group of University of Kansas football fans are sending Gill, officially hired Monday to take over a Jayhawks program that faltered under Mark Mangino during the second half of the season.

The FireTurnerGill.com Web site is up and running with its creator making multiple mentions of Jim Harbaugh as a more worthy coach. Nevermind the fact Harbaugh wanted no part of Kansas and signed an extension to stay at Stanford through 2014.

What KU fans fail to see is that this is not a top-flight program. It may play in a highly-respected conference, but it doesn’t stand toe-to-toe with Texas and Oklahoma in terms of national respect. Same can be said for Missouri, Iowa State, Texas Tech, etc. They don’t have the same swagger and sway as the big boys.

Missouri hired a MAC coach and is now consistently winning eight games per season and finding itself annually playing in a bowl game. Cincinnati hired a MAC coach and became Big East Conference champion.

Will Kansas experience the same sort of success? Only time will tell.

The clock, though, is ticking and patience is thin.

Kansas fans are sending that message world wide.

The Quincy High School boys basketball team got an early Christmas present Monday when they learned they were the No. 1 for the Collinsville/Schnucks Holiday Classic. The Blue Devils tip off at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 28 against Granite City.

“I’m a little surprised,” Quincy coach Sean Taylor said. “I think it’s a good tournament. I think being ranked in state and I think being Quincy helps.”

The Blue Devils will play either Springfield Southeast or Madison in the second game, which will be at either 4 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. Dec. 29.

The other seeded teams are No. 2 Lincoln, No. 3 Belleville Althoff and No. 4 Marion.

The Quincy High School boys basketball team improved to 6-0 for the first time since the 1991-92 season with Friday night’s 52-41 victory over Moline. The Maroons, however, have been known to keep the Blue Devils from streaking into the holidays undefeated.

During the 1999-2000 season, in which Quincy went 25-5 overall and won the WB6 with an 8-2 mark, the Blue Devils’ only loss in the first 12 games was in Game No. 6 as Moline scored a 57-45 victory at Wharton Field House.

In 1997-98, Quincy also won 11 of its first 12 games, although the only loss came in Game No. 4 when Moline picked up a 43-40 victory at Wharton Field House.

Only one other time since the 1991-92 season has Quincy gone into the Christmas holiday tournament with one loss. It was in 1994-95 when the Blue Devils won 11 of their first 12, losing 55-46 to Chicago Carver at Blue Devil Gym.

After spending a few days tackling projects around the house and getting prepared for Christmas (to be honest, I’ve bought only one gift so far), my vacation ended Friday with a return to Blue Devil Gym.

Moline's Mikel Wismer (23) and Quincy High School's Mitch Marold (22) battle for a rebound during the Blue Devils' 52-41 Western Big Six Conference victory at Blue Devil Gym. (H-W Photo/Steve Bohnstedt)

What transpired was what fans can expect from the rest of the Western Big Six Conference race.

No lead is safe.

No victory is easy.

No title is guaranteed.

With that in mind, Quincy put itself in a good position to go into the new years at least tied atop the WB6 standings with a 52-41 victory over defending conference champion Moline.

“It sends a statement,” Quincy senior guard Zach Forbes said.

It reads: Title contender.

The Blue Devils penned that by attacking the Maroons’ zone.

“They do have a really good zone,” Forbes said. “It does frustrate you. When we beat it down the court, it worked out for us. We could get to their end of the court before they set their zone up. Once they got their zone set up, they forced perimeter shots and it was difficult to get it into the middle.”

However, the Blue Devils turned to Mitch Marold, who had four assists and three steals, to be the bulldog who nosed his way between defenders and drew the Maroons into the lane, leaving shooters open on the perimeter.

“You can make some mistakes when you go in there,” Quincy coach Sean Taylor said. “You’re going into a double (team) and you’re expected to make a good decision. He’s got the confidence in himself. … He thinks he can do it every time.”

He did it at the right times, setting up Forbes for back-to-back tide-turning 3-pointers in the fourth quarter that turned a two-point game into a 48-39 lead with just 2:11 to play.

“Without his ability to penetrate that zone, Zach doesn’t get those,” Taylor said.

Those plays don’t show up in the boxscore, but they are what iced the victory.

“He made the plays of the fourth quarter,” Taylor said.

Here’s some other highlights of the night:

• Robert Gay may be struggling as a 3-point shooter, but he showed another dimension to his offensive capabilities by driving from the wing and softly banking in a pair of field goals. Against a stingy defense, the ability to get into the gaps and elevate over defenders was key.

“We had to drive, penetrate and kick,” Gay said. “I thought we did a good job of that.”

• Senior forward Nick Doellman saw his first action of the season, coming off the bench in the second quarter to make a pair of key plays at the offensive end.

Sidelined the first five games as he recovered from a high ankle sprain, Doellman grabbed an offensive rebound to keep a possession alive that resulted in Isaiah Johnson hitting an 8-foot jumper to keep Quincy’s lead in double digits at 26-16. On the next possession, Doellman hit a short jumper to again push the lead back to 10 points.

Expect him to take on a bigger role as he gets back into basketball shape and can use his frame to be a physical presence on the block.

• The largest crowd of the season was treated to another stirring effort from the QHS student section. This time, the QHS students were decked out in holiday colors and even the cheerleaders took part, wearing Christmas sweaters while they cheered during the second quarter.

School spirit is certainly high, and it’s fun to see the student body enjoying the games as much as the players.

The Boxscore

Quincy 52, Moline 41
MOLINE (5-1, 1-1)
Player    fg-fga    ft-fta    reb    pf    pts
Krantz    3-4    3-6    5    2    9
Giovanine    0-1    0-0    2    4    0
T. Lindauer    2-16    2-4    3    4    8
Wismer    5-7    1-3    5    5    11
A. Lindauer    4-10    0-0    3    1    11
Lewis    0-0    0-0    1    1    0
Long    1-1    0-0    0    0    2
O’Brien    0-0    0-0    0    0    0
Team            4
Totals    15-39    6-13    23    17    41
QUINCY (6-0, 2-0)
Player    fg-fga    ft-fta    reb    pf    pts
Miklius    2-5    0-0    1    0    6
Johnson    5-10    1-2    5    1    11
VonderHaar    1-4    4-4    7    2    6
Marold    0-2    2-2    0    4    2
Gay    2-6    2-4    4    0    6
Forbes    6-14    5-8    9    3    19
Doellman    1-1    0-1    1    1    2
Davis    0-0    0-0    0    1    0
Team            4
Totals    17-42    14-21    31    12    52
Moline    9    9    12    11—41
Quincy    15    15    7    15—52
3-point field goals—Moline 5-20 (A. Lindauer 3-9, T. Lindauer 2-11), Quincy 4-17 (Forbes 2-7, Miklius 2-5, VonderHaar 0-2, Gay 0-2, Marold 0-1). Assists—Moline 10 (T. Lindauer 3), Quincy 9 (Marold 4). Steals—Moline 2 (A. Lindauer 2), Quincy 9 (Marold 3). Blocked shots—Quincy 1 (Forbes). Turnovers—Moline 12, Quincy 7. Technical foul—Forbes. Officials—Marty Flaherty, Dave Mullen, Dave Hancock.