BELLEVILLE – Sydney Harris, a sophomore forward with the girls’ basketball team at Edwardsville High, had another stellar game on Monday night, scoring 16 points along with teammate Que Love, in the Tigers’ 61-58 loss to O’Fallon in the IHSA Class 4A Pekin sectional semifinal game played at Belleville West.
Edwardsville played very hard throughout the whole game, but lost an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter that allowed the Panthers to come back and upset the Tigers, who lost in a sectional semifinal for the first time since 2006. The effort was typical of Edwardsville, who left it out on the court every night.
“Yeah, we all put it on the line tonight,” Harris said during a postgame interview. “We just fell short; it happens. You win some, you lose some. We came into this game prepared, we had everything we needed. We just didn’t execute as we needed to. It just happens.”
The Tigers led by as much as 13 during the first half before the Panthers came back to come within three, but an Edwardsville run near the end of the period make the score 43-36 at halftime. Harris thought the Tigers became too comfortable after that.
“I think we just got too comfortable for being postseason,” Harris said, “given it is postseason. Any team can come back from anyone, like any down. So, I think we just got too comfortable, and we let them come back in and take it down our throat on the offensive end, and we were just settling, stuff like that. They shot way more free throws than us, just three points.”
Although the Tigers were eliminated with the loss, they’ll still be a team to be reckoned with in the 2020-21 season. Harris will be among the key returnees, and she thinks the team will bounce back well.
“Yeah, we should,” Harris said. “We’ve just got to bounce back from this next year, and come back stronger than ever.”
Edwardsville will be losing five seniors – Love, Maria Smith, Jacquelin Anderson, Amanda Mills and Kylie Burg – but will be returning Harris, sophomores Elle Evans and Macy Silvey, and junior Katelynne Roberts. Harris agreed that the graduating seniors will be missed.
“Well, obviously, Que leaving, that’s a big part of us,” Harris said, “but I think we have people that will be able to step up next year throughout the season, so I think we’ll be OK.”
As for Harris herself, she’s emerging as one of the St. Louis area’s best players, and she’s already looking forward to next season.
“Yeah, I am,” Harris said. “I’m excited.”
