BELLEVILLE WEST - Alton High School's LaJarvia Brown and company on the varsity girls basketball team left everything on the court on Monday night in the IHSA Class 4A Belleville West Regional, falling to Chatham-Glenwood 65-61.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
The game was nip and tuck with Alton ahead 14-13, 27-24 and 46-31 after each of the first three quarters. In the fourth quarter, Chatham-Glenwood outscored the Redbirds 23-8, then outscored Alton 11-7 in overtime for the win.
Brown continued her outstanding girls basketball career with 26 points, while teammate Jewel Wagner did the same with a 20-point effort.
The Redbirds finished with a 3-22 record; Chatham-Glenwood improved to 17-13.
"Tonight was the best team effort I have seen from an Alton team i my three years here, I just feel bad we played that hard and could not close out the win," Redbirds coach Bob Rickman said. "We turned over the ball way too many times in the fourth quarter and for the game, really, it is hard to win with 28 turnovers."
Rickman said down the stretch a team has to make free throws, take care of the ball and play great defense. He said it also hurt his team was in foul trouble at the end.
"It is tough to lose a game like that for the seniors, they played their hearts out, and we just could not get it done. I hope this game leaves an impression on the younger players of the level you have to work to get it done."
Quincy defeated Granite City 45-27 and East St. Louis topped Collinsville 55-39 on Monday night.
More like this:
