Alton's LaJarvia Brown explodes for 27 points in shootout win over Jennings

GODFREY – Saturday evening's Atrium Hotel Great Rivers Shootout match-up between Jennings and Alton may not go down as the prettiest game in basketball history.

But the Redbirds and coach Bob Rickman will certainly take the outcome of it any day of the week.

Thanks to a 27-point effort from LaJarvia Brown, the Redbirds got back in the win column as they took a 48-45 win over the Warriors in the fourth game of the five-game card.

“A win is a win is a win,” Rickman said. “I think the learning process for, still, a relatively young team, outside of Jewel (Wagner) and LaJarvia, shows there. We had some bad shot selection, some bad decisions; we've got to have people make better decisions. I thought what really hurt us was people who I thought people who I thought were capable of making better decisions just didn't do it. That's something we've got to figure out.

“I was really proud; I mean, we had Ashlyn Green come out and play pretty solid; we've got Cri'shonna Hickman that started for us, we've got Diarra Smith that's pretty solid. Problem is, we're not getting a lot of offensive production out of Diarra and some of those players, but the first step is not making mistakes. I can handle that because right now, we've got Jewel and LaJarvia to help us create some offense if they will take their opportunities. We've got to quit shooting ourselves in the foot with making mistakes that are too easy.”

While Brown gets most of the attention, Wagner made some key contributions, especially down the stretch; she grabbed key rebounds down the stretch that helped the Redbirds. Still, the Redbirds were getting opportunities that they may not be seeing, Rickman felt.

“We’re getting some opportunities that we’re not really seeing,” Rickman said. “We still lack that patience of seeing the floor, and it’s something we’re gradually getting better at. When we try to play our pace, the pace we want the game to go, we’re in good shape. It’s just that we kept getting back into their pace, and that’s not where we need to play.

“That’s where turnovers happen and that’s where mistakes happen, and the game was close and back-and-forth when we played that pace. When we slowed down and relax and know when to push – I’m not saying we won’t slow it down and not run at all, we want to run when the opportunity’s right.”

One key play down the stretch did give Alton some momentum – and it was a play no one expected. It came after a Brown score tied the game at 40. Jennings called time and on the inbounds play, the ball went to a Warrior player, who put the ball into her own basket to give the Redbirds an unexpected lead. The Warriors tied the game right away, but Wagner hit from short range and Brown sealed the game with four straight free throws.

In addition to Brown’s 27, Wagner had six for Alton; the Warriors were led by Amoni White’s 20 points, with Rian Logan adding 11 and Jayla Gray nine. Brown and White were named Liberty Bank Players of the Game for their efforts.

SEE VIDEO FROM ALTON VS. JENNINGS HERE:

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