EDWARDSVILLE - Senior forward Syd Harris led the way once again for Edwardsville, scoring 25 points, while fellow senior Elle Evans added 20 points as the Tigers won their first IHSA playoff game in two years with a 73-42 win over Pekin in the Class 4A regional semifinals Tuesday night at Lucco-Jackson Gym.
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The Tigers jumped out to a fast lead and never looked back in advancing to the final on Thursday night.
"I thought we got off to a quick start and that helped us move right along," said Edwardsville head coach Caty Happe. "I thought it very much was a team effort and we got help scoring from all positions for sure."
It was the Tigers' first playoff game since 2020, and while the normal butterflies were present, the team played very well in advancing to the final.
"These kids hadn't had a real playoff game in two years," Happe said, "and most of them have never been in one before, so it was good to get back on track."
Edwardsville outscored the Dragons throughout the game, holding leads of 24-9, 37-20 and 59-34, outscoring Pekin in the final quarter 14-8 to advance.
Besides Harris and Evans, the Tigers got 12 points from Macy Silvey, six points from Emma Garner, three points each from Ellie Neath and Molly Peel and two points apiece from Ashlyn Hauk and Dallas Jenkins.
The Tigers are now 26-4 and move on to the final on Thursday night, where they'll play Alton, one of the most improved teams in the area and a 64-48 winner over Quincy in the second semifinal, in a 7 p.m. tip-off. Happe is looking forward to the challenge of a good Redbirds' team.
"We've played them once before and they're a different team than what they were earlier," Happe said, "and we're excited to have another opportunity to play in general, especially on our home floor."
The Dragons end their season 11-16.
