EDWARDSVILLE - Kris Crosby, a senior forward with the Edwardsville High boys basketball team, is providing the Tigers with senior leadership and experience as the Tigers head into the final month of the regular season.
Currently, the Tigers are 15-8, following their 54-52 overtime win over Mascoutah on Jan. 23, with Crosby scoring seven points in the game, and also making key plays defensively to help the Tigers score the win. He's currently averaging 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds-per-game, along with having five assists and three steals. His defensive acumen, along with his hustle and willingness to work hard, is a big plus for the team.
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Crosby is a Johnston Law Firm Female Athlete of the Month for Edwardsville.
In his postgame interview following the win over the Indians, Crosby felt he played well, but could have done better. Still, he and the Tigers were very happy with the win in a tough, hard-fought and scrappy contest.
"I'm feeling good," Crosby said. "I feel like we could have done better, but we got the win, so we're just ready for O'Fallon on Friday night."
Going into the game against Mascoutah, Crosby's mind was just one thing in particular.
"My mindset was to win," Crosby said with a smile. "That's my whole mindset, it just to win the game."
Crosby and the whole Edwardsville team came up with big defensive plays to keep the lead, none more so than a late block by Donovan Coats on a three-point shot in the fight-side corner by Greg Adams that all but preserved the win. The clutch defensive play will serve the Tigers well when the IHSA Class 4A playoffs start in late February.
"Yeah, it is," Crosby said. "I think this is going to give us real good firepower for O'Fallon, so we're going to be ready for that game. We owe them one, that's what coach (Dustin Battas) said, we owe them."
Crosby was referring to a loss to O"Fallon on Dec. 5, 64-46 at the OTHS Panther Dome. The rematch comes up on Friday night at home, with Crosby thinking that a win over the Panthers would be a very big one, indeed. Crosby's goals and aspirations for the stretch run are also both simple, yet ambitious.
"The goals? I don't know if we can, but I just want to have a 20-win season," Crosby said, "like we did last year, so we can get another picture up on this board, I just want to keep getting better, and better, and better. And just get better, individually."
Crosby is looking ahead to the IHSA Class 4A playoffs, and has a good aspiration for the postseason. And is also putting first things first.
"Just keep winning, keep winning!," Crosby said. "That's all I want to do, is keep winning it. We want to get first in the Southwestern Conference, and possibly go to state."
Again, congrats to Kris Crosby on his Johnston Law Firm Male Athlete of the Month recognition.
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