The stakes were dramatically lowered, but the Alton Redbirds earned a small measure of redemption Saturday night in Quincy.
The Redbirds shot 57 percent from the field and rolled past the Quincy Blue Devils 57-38 in a nonconference boys basketball game at Blue Devil Gym.
Alton improves to 18-4. Quincy is 11-7.
It was a reversal of fortune for the Redbirds, whose last visit to Quincy ended with the Devils pulling off a 64-48 upset in last season’s Class 4A regional semifinals. Alton shot 36 percent from the field, including a 4 of 18 night from 3-point range, in a defeat that closed its season at 22-6.
The rims proved friendlier Saturday with the Redbirds converting 6 of 12 from the arc.
“Tonight they were hot,” first-year Quincy coach Andy Douglas said of the Redbirds. “But part of that reason was because we didn’t close out the right way. We allowed them to get open looks and those are things you can’t do against a team like Alton.”
Darrius Edwards scored 13 points to lead a balanced Alton offense. Carlos Anderson scored 11 points and Demonte Wigfall had 10 for the Redbirds, who got nine points from Lavonte Hobbs and eight from Bryan Hudson.
The Redbirds also dominated the rebounding battle, holding a 29-16 edge that included eight offensive boards. “We’ve got tall, athletic kids,” Alton coach Eric Smith said. “We usually have some pretty good success when it comes to rebounding.”
Quincy shot 30 percent (14 of 47) from the field and went 5-for-23 from 3-point territory. Alton led 31-22 at halftime and took a 38-28 lead to the fourth quarter.
“We knew the last few games that their shooters have had some good nights, especially (Jacob Jobe on Friday night),” Smith said. “We just tried to make them try to make some plays and try to do some things against our athletes. Obviously it worked out a little bit better for us tonight.”
Two of Quincy’s top offensive threats struggled with Jacob Jobe making 3 of 8 shots for eight points and Lincoln Elbe going 1-for-10 and scoring three points.
“They were face guarding us all night, me and (Elbe), they wouldn’t give us anything,” Jobe said. “When we did get open, we didn’t hit the shot, and that was pretty frustrating throughout the game.”
Information for this story provided by Andres Martinez of the Quincy Herald-Whig
