EDWARDSVILLE – Lainey McFarlin led with 16 points, while Alandyn Simmons added 15 points as Edwardsville’s girls basketball team led from wire-to-wire in taking a 62-21 win over Belleville West in a Southwestern Conference game Tuesday night at Lucco-Jackson Gym.
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The Tigers scored five points, and built a 20-2 lead after the first quarter, never looking back in taking the win over a young Maroons team, hitting on all cylinders as Edwardsville prepares for its rematch against Alton on the road on Thursday.
"I’m proud of the girls," Tigers head coach Bryan Young said. "One of the things we talked about tonight was being a team, and congratulating each other, high-fiving each other, and that was good. I told them X's and O’s, they’re gonna come, but we did a good job tonight of really playing as a team, I thought.”
The Tigers scored the game’s first five points on a basket from Mia Semith, a free throw from Gabby Cook, and a basket from Sophie Shapiro. Mellakya Wright then scored for West to make it 5-2, but that would be the only basket of the period for the Maroon, as Semith hit a three, and it was all Tigers after that, as Edwardsville raced at a 20-2 lead after the first.
In the second, Edwardsville extended its edge to 29-4 before the Maroons got a free throw and basket from Baker to make it 29-7. Edwardsville went on a 16-0 run, led by Kaylee Hauschild Simmons, and Madilyn Madison to take a 45-7 halftime lead.
The Maroons came alive in the third, as Baker led a charge to 50-13, but the Tigers recovered to take a 52-17 lead after three, setting up the fourth quarter running clock rule. Edwardsville eventually took the 52-21 win over West.
“West did a good job,” Young said. “I know it’s a challenge, but their coach is doing a good job of coaching them up, and keeping them positive They could have just quit, but they didn’t. They kept fighting, and towards the end, they got some buckets and got the ball to the basket and scored.
From here, things don’t get any easier for the Tigers, with the rematch against the Redbirds on Thursday, and some quality opponents in the Highland Tournament next week.
“We’re looking forward to that,” Young said. “We told the girls after the game we had a couple of games there, that we were able to win, but now, we’ve got some challenges, and some opportunities in front of us. I’m looking for us to go out and compete hard against the next few games.”
To go along with McFarlin’s 16 points, and Simmons’ 15, the Tigers saw Semith score nine points, both Cook and Hauschild had six points each, both Kennedy Gieseking and Madison had four points each, and Shapiro had two points. Baker led the Maroons with nine points, while Josie Coughlin had four points, and Milayna Lewis, Wright, and GKohrria Green all had two points apiece.
The Tigers are now 9-6 on the season, and travel to Alton at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, then open the Highland Tournament at 11:30 a.m. against Chatham Glenwood Saturday morning, Jan. 18, 2025.
