GRANITE CITY - Talia Norman led three Alton players in double figures with 27 points as the Redbirds defeated Quincy 65-40 to win the IHSA Class 4A Granite City girls basketball regional Friday night at Granite City Memorial Gym.
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The Redbirds jumped out to a big lead in the first quarter by using their pressure defense, and got great shooting from everyone to take the regional and advance to their own sectional, which opens on Tuesday evening against Southwestern Conference rival O'Fallon.
"I feel really good," said Alton head coach Deserea Howard. "I thought we played really well tonight. We played strong, stayed committed to what we were trying to get done, and got out with a win. That's always what you want to do."
Norman's big game was a key factor in the win for the Redbirds.
"She's playing strong, she's playing physical," Howard said about Norman's performance on the evening. "Everybody's trying to double-team them right now, and they've been doing that all year. So the girls are learning how to work through it, and the other girls are ready to step up at any point. So, it's working for it. I think this just builds our confidence all year."
Howard is looking forward to hosting the sectional and going up against the Panthers to start things up.
"It's going to be a good game," Howard said. "Everybody loves to see us play against O'Fallon. It's always fun, it's high energy. And so, we're just going to come, and bring our high-energy game that night."
The high-pressure defense, along with the strong scoring up front, will be difficult for Alton's opponents to match during the rest of the tournament. It's been the Redbirds' bread-and-butter all season.
"Right now, it's just whatever it takes," Howard said. "Nobody wants to go home, especially our seniors. So, if it takes pressure defense, then we're going to give pressure defense."
Howard is confident of the Redbirds' chances in the sectional.
"I feel we have as good a chance as anybody to make this round," Coach Howard said. "We just have to stay focused, one game at a time. So right now, we're just focused on Tuesday night, and make sure we take care of business."
Alton started its dominance of the final in the first quarter, jumping to a 19-4 lead, behind Norman, eventually going ahead 24-7 after the opening quarter. In the second quarter, Jarius Powers began to take control, scoring many good baskets, and Norman also scored to keep Quincy at bay, while Jade Brown did her best to keep the Blue Devils in the game, but the Redbirds took a 32-18 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, Kiyoko Proctor stepped up to sink some threes for the Redbirds, while Kyridas Orr came off the bench to provide a spark for Alton, scoring a vital basket. the Blue Devils, behind Brown and Cameron Byquist, tried to spark a Quincy rally, but the Redbirds would have none of that as Alton went ahead at three-quarter time 53-28. In the fourth, another Proctor three scored 62-32, triggering the running clock rule for the remainder of the game, and it was all Redbirds as they went on to their 65-40 win to take the regional crown.
Norman led the Redbirds with her 27 points, while Proctor had 17 points, Powers scored 15 points, Kaylea Lacey had three points, Orr came up with two points, and Madeleine Ducey had a single point. The Blue Devils were led by Brown, with 12 points, while Myley Longcor had 11 points, Byquist scored nine points, and Khloe Nicholson had eight points.
The Redbirds reached a milestone win, and are now 30-2 for the season, while the Blue Devils conclude their season at 20-11. Alton will host the sectional this coming week, playing O'Fallon, who won their regional with a 63-60 win over resurgent Belleville East, Tuesday evening at 6 p.m., while Pekin plays Normal Community in the other semifinal, also Tuesday, at Normal Community West at 7 p.m.
The two winners advance to the Sweet Sixteen sectional final Thursday night at 6 p.m., the sectional winner going to the Illinois Wesleyan super-sectional in Bloomington Mar. 3 against the Bolingbrook sectional winner in a 7 p.m. tip-off. The state finals take place Mar. 7-8 at CEFCU Arena at Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal.
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
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