EDWARDSVILLE - Lainey McFarlin is a junior forward for the girls' basketball team at Edwardsville High School, and has helped the Tigers get off on the right foot this season with a 4-2 start.
Edwardsville lost their first game of the season on Dec. 5 41-24 to Alton at Lucco-Jackson Gym, a game where the Tigers held the Redbirds to a 10-10 halftime tie, but the Redbirds went on an 11-1 third-quarter run to take control of the game, and eventually win. O'Fallon beat Edwardsville 34-31 on Tuesday.
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After the game, McFarlin felt disappointment about the outcome, but knew the Tigers had the ability to bounce back quickly.
Lainey is a Spencer Homes Female Athlete of the Month for Edwardsville.
"We worked really hard in practice this week, and the thing we worked on, it didn't follow into the Alton game, and I feel like our energy just got low," McFarlin said.
It's still a good start for the Tigers now at 4-2, and she felt positive about how things have gone in the early part of the campaign.
"I'm proud of how we've come so far,' McFarlin said, "but it's only the start of the season, and we've got to keep pushing and working hard."
The Redbirds are still a very good team, even without all-star guard Kiyoko Proctor, who's out until later in the season after suffering a serious knee injury in last year's super-sectional game. McFarlin feels the Tigers need to come together as a team the same way Alton has.
"I think just as a team, we need to come together, like they've come together as a team," McFarlin said.
There's still much work coming ahead for the Tigers, and McFarlin is confident that Edwardsville can do much good as the season rolls along.
"Yes, I'm very happy about how we're coming together," McFarlin said, "but, it still needs some work."
The Tigers face Belleville East on Thursday at Belleville East and at 11 a.m. on Saturday will host Normal Community at Edwardsville.
"It's time to work double the hard work in practice," McFarlin said, "and get ready for our next games."
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