COLLINSVILLE – Edwardsville senior basketball forward Lavontas Hairston had a good game on Friday night, leading the Tigers’ attack with 14 points in Edwardsville’s 51-31 loss on the road at Collinsville at Vergil Fletcher Gym.
And even though the Tigers lost, the hard work the team does in practice has been paying off in many ways.
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“I’ve been working on my shot this week,” Hairston said in a postgame interview. “It turned out good for me, but our team was trying to beat the press, but it just got the best of us.”
The press in its various forms has been a staple of Collinsville basketball for many years, going back to the days of Fletcher himself. And although the Kahoks did force turnovers off of it to score, the Tigers generally handled it very well.
“We practiced against it, and what to do against it,” Hairston said. “And our scheme worked out pretty well. They just got the best of us on that.”
Edwardsville, as a team, works hard in practice and prepare very well. Although the Tigers aren’t very experienced, they may be ready for some big games from many of their players as the season progresses.
“Yeah, we’re taking baby steps,” Hairston said. “This is a new, young team. We’re just working together to come together and become a great team.”
And the practice sessions are going well for the Tigers. Hairston knows that the hard work and preparation are always a key for the team.
“All we can do is to come to practice every day and work harder and harder,” Hairston said.
And Hairston agreed that the sessions are going well, and the entire team is pulling their weight and doing good.
“Everybody’s trying their best to get better each time,” Hairston said.
