MASCOUTAH – In a tightly contested championship match at the 46th Annual Mascoutah Holiday Tournament, the Alton Lady Redbirds defeated the Breese Central Cougars 60-56 on Sunday evening, Dec. 29, 2024. The victory showcased the resilience of Alton, ranked No. 8 in Class 4A, as they faced off against the top-ranked team in Class 2A.
The Lady Redbirds faced challenges with foul trouble throughout the game, but they managed to maintain a slight edge, leading 21-19 at the end of the first quarter. Kiyoko Proctor, who recently returned from an ACL injury, played a pivotal role in the first half, scoring 14 of her game-high 20 points in the opening quarter.
Breese Central kept the pressure on Alton, trailing by just one point at halftime, 29-28. The second half saw a series of lead changes, with Alton holding a narrow 44-42 advantage entering the final quarter.
“They are strong, and they are technical in the paint and they showed us we better get better at rebounding,” Alton coach Deserea Howard said. “They and Nashville are the best teams in this area at 2A and I knew this was going to be a battle.”
In the fourth quarter, Alton outscored Breese Central 16-14, securing their victory. Alongside Proctor’s 20 points, Alton received significant contributions from Talia Norman with 17 points and Jarius Powers with 15 points.
Breese Central’s offense was led by Claire Albers, who scored 17 points, while Taylor Trame and Lily Buttler added 14 and 12 points, respectively.
