EDWARDSVILLE – Alandyn Simmons led Edwardsville with 17 points as the Tigers went on an 18-0 run to start the second half in going on to a 55-26 win over Collinsville in a Southwestern Conference girls basketball game Tuesday night at Lucco-Jackson Gym.
The difference in the game was that Edwardsville scored the first 18 points of the third quarter going into halftime leading 17-15 after a buzzer-beater three cut the Tiger lead to two points before the interval. The Tigers came back from the break firing on all cylinders, pulling away for the win.
“I’m proud of the girls, we struggled a little bit in the first half, we weren’t making some shots, turning the ball over a little bit too much, but in the second half, we got it together, and came out in the third quarter, held them to one point,” Edwardsville head coach Bryan Young said. So, good job for the girls responding to halftime.”
Talesha Gilmore of Collinsville topped 1,500 career points in the game. Gilmore has been a mainstay for the Kahoks since her freshman year, and afterward, Young praised her highly.
“I talked to her after the game,” Young said, “and told her it’s been a pleasure watching her play. She does such a good job of working on the court, she’s just relentless. She’s a good player, just excited to watch her grow, and playing into next year, too.”
As for the Tigers, the team just took off in the third quarter on their big run, and took control of the game.
“Yes, we did,” Young said. “I thought in the third quarter, we were a little bit more aggressive in attacking the basket, and on defense, we were a little more aggressive going after the ball. I thought Alandyn Simmons did a good job of rebounding, pushing the tempo a little bit. I thought Kennedy Gieseking did a real good job. She’s on the bench talking, and she came into the game, and brought us some energy, and just played her role. I thought she did a fine job of igniting that spark, also.”
The Tigers appeared ready to roll for the stretch drive of the season, going into the IHSA Class 4A regionals later this month, and Young knows the road will be difficult.
“We have (East St. Louis) on Thursday,” Young said, “we’ve got a few games to sharpen some things. I told the girls this is what this is about, sharpening our tools, so we can get ready for the postseason, and fight for a regional, and a sectional.”
The Kahoks took an early 4-0 lead on baskets by Ashley Janini and Gilmore, with the Tigers going ahead 5-4 on a basket by Gabby Cook and a three from Lainey McFarlin. Mia Semith scored to make it 7-4, with a Gilmore free throw cutting the lead to 7-5. Karley Call sank a three to put Collinsville up 8-7, but a basket by Sophie Shapiro gave the Tigers a 9-8 lead after the first quarter.
In the second period, Simmons went all the way on a steal to up the lead to 11-8, with another Gilmore basket making it 12-10, putting her to within one point of her milestone. It would be the last basket she would make in the first half, as the Tigers extended their lead to 17-12 on a Simmons basket. Janini hit a long three at the buzzer to cut the Edwardsville lead to 17-15 at halftime.
That would be the last field goal scored by the Kahoks until Gilmore’s historic basket early in the fourth quarter, as Collinsville was held to a late free throw by Call, while the Tigers went on their 18-0 run to seize control. Simmons scored on a three-point play to get it started, then added another basket, while Semith scored twice, Shapiro converted a pair of free throws, Gieseking came off the bench to score five points, Shapiro hit two more free throws, and Simmons scored again to complete the run, giving Edwardsville a 39-16 lead after three.
Gilmore scored in the lane to give her the milestone points with 6:45 left in the fourth quarter, then added a three to cut the lead to 41-21, but the Tigers went on a 10-0 run to make the score 51-21, kicking in the running clock rule for the remainder of the game. Collinsville did go on a 5-0 run to cut into the lead late, but the Tigers prevailed 55-26.
To go along with Simmons’ 17 points, Shapiro had 10 points for Edwardsville, while both Cook and McFarlin had eight points each, Gieseking had five points, Semith scored four points, and Layne Logan hit for three points.
Gilmore led Collinsville with 10 points, with Janini scoring seven points, both Addyson Muniz and April Ramirez had three points each, and Call had a single point.
Edwardsville Is now 14-9, and hosts East St. Louis on Thursday, plays at Granite City on Friday, and hosts Rochester in their Senior Night game on Feb. 11, all games starting at 7:30 p.m. The Kahoks go to 11-13, and are at Father McGivney Catholic Wednesday, host Jersey next Monday in their Senior Night game, and play at O’Fallon next Tuesday, with all games also starting at 7:30 p.m.
