Redbirds can’t repeat, fall to Jennings in shootout

Alton flat in shootout loss to Jennings

Greg Shashack, gshashack@thetelegraph.com

 Updated 10:43 am CST, Sunday, December 16, 2018

Photo:

Greg Shashack / The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 3

Alton’s Donovan Clay (11) heads upcourt on the break ahead of Jennings’ Donnel Carter (1), Trevon Lane (3) and Vernell Sims (right) while the Redbirds’ Drew Jones trails the play Saturday afternoon at the

... more

WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. – The grit that carried the Alton Redbirds to a dramatic Southwestern Conference victory Friday night failed to make it across the river Saturday afternoon.

Repeated Redbird threats fell short in the second half and the Jennings Warriors beat Alton 60-55 in the Ramey Shootout at Webster Groves High School.

Recommended Video

00:11

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The Redbirds, who scored off an inbounds play at the buzzer to beat Collinsville a night earlier, trailed for most of their shootout date with the Warriors and dropped to 4-5. Jennings is 5-1.

“As tough as we were last night,” Alton coach Eric Smith said, “we were pretty much the opposite today.”

The Redbirds bench, left short with the ongoing suspension of seven players from an incident in their third game, got shorter Saturday with Izeal Terrell fulfilling a previous commitment to make his official visit to Southeast Missouri before signing a football scholarship with the Redhawks.

Alton used just six players against Jennings, but the deficiencies went beyond manpower for the Redbirds.

“I just think we didn’t work hard enough as a team,” Alton’s Donovan Clay said. “Everybody wouldn’t buy in. We’re short and that makes it hard, but it’s no excuse. We’ve still got the pieces to win big games like this.”

The 6-foot-7 Clay did his part, hitting 9 of 9 free throws and scoring 25 points. Malik Smith and Ky’lun Rivers both scored 10 points and Moory Woods added eight points for the Redbirds.

“We took some bad, bad shots today,” Eric Smith said.

Jennings led 28-24 at halftime and took that four-point margin to the fourth quarter with a 44-40 lead after Clay scored five unanswered points in the final minute of the third quarter to cut into the Warriors’ biggest lead at nine points.

But with the Redbirds going scoreless in the first four minutes of the final period, Jennings grew the lead back to eight. Malik Smith’s 3-pointer with six seconds left got Alton within 58-55, but the Warriors survived.

“There were breakdowns,” Eric Smith said of his team’s inability to ever regain a lead after the second quarter. “Just plays you’ve got to make if you want to win a game.”

Elijah Hicks scored 22 points to lead Jennings, with Donnell Carter and Trevon Love both scoring 11 for the Warriors.

“Games like today are the difference whether are you going to win 23, 24 games or are you going to 14, 15 games?,” Eric Smith said. “You can’t let these types of games go by the wayside. You have to take advantage of your opportunities. Are you tough enough to come back and win a game like this at 2 o’clock on a Saturday?”

The Redbirds were not on this Saturday and their coach said the reasons were not on the bench in street clothes.

“We can talk about how difficult it is,” Smith said. “But the frustrating part for us is we didn’t run a single set correctly today. If you can’t do that, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got 30 kids.

The suspensions depleting the roster will extend into the Centralia Holiday Tournament, when some of the players are expected back after the first round. Until then, the Redbirds must adjust and overcome adversity. “We don’t have any other choice,” Smith said.

And winning with the players available, Clay insists, should be the result.

“We’ve got to play through it and we’ve got to play hard,” Clay said. “Like I said, we’ve got the pieces. We’ve got to put it together and everybody has to buy in. When we do that, we’ll come out with some W’s.”

Redbirds can’t repeat, fall to Jennings in shootout

Alton flat in shootout loss to Jennings

Greg Shashack, gshashack@thetelegraph.com

 Updated 10:43 am CST, Sunday, December 16, 2018

Photo:

Greg Shashack / The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 3

Alton’s Donovan Clay (11) heads upcourt on the break ahead of Jennings’ Donnel Carter (1), Trevon Lane (3) and Vernell Sims (right) while the Redbirds’ Drew Jones trails the play Saturday afternoon at the

... more

WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. – The grit that carried the Alton Redbirds to a dramatic Southwestern Conference victory Friday night failed to make it across the river Saturday afternoon.

Repeated Redbird threats fell short in the second half and the Jennings Warriors beat Alton 60-55 in the Ramey Shootout at Webster Groves High School.

Recommended Video

00:11

01:11

The Redbirds, who scored off an inbounds play at the buzzer to beat Collinsville a night earlier, trailed for most of their shootout date with the Warriors and dropped to 4-5. Jennings is 5-1.

“As tough as we were last night,” Alton coach Eric Smith said, “we were pretty much the opposite today.”

The Redbirds bench, left short with the ongoing suspension of seven players from an incident in their third game, got shorter Saturday with Izeal Terrell fulfilling a previous commitment to make his official visit to Southeast Missouri before signing a football scholarship with the Redhawks.

Alton used just six players against Jennings, but the deficiencies went beyond manpower for the Redbirds.

“I just think we didn’t work hard enough as a team,” Alton’s Donovan Clay said. “Everybody wouldn’t buy in. We’re short and that makes it hard, but it’s no excuse. We’ve still got the pieces to win big games like this.”

The 6-foot-7 Clay did his part, hitting 9 of 9 free throws and scoring 25 points. Malik Smith and Ky’lun Rivers both scored 10 points and Moory Woods added eight points for the Redbirds.

“We took some bad, bad shots today,” Eric Smith said.

Jennings led 28-24 at halftime and took that four-point margin to the fourth quarter with a 44-40 lead after Clay scored five unanswered points in the final minute of the third quarter to cut into the Warriors’ biggest lead at nine points.

But with the Redbirds going scoreless in the first four minutes of the final period, Jennings grew the lead back to eight. Malik Smith’s 3-pointer with six seconds left got Alton within 58-55, but the Warriors survived.

“There were breakdowns,” Eric Smith said of his team’s inability to ever regain a lead after the second quarter. “Just plays you’ve got to make if you want to win a game.”

Elijah Hicks scored 22 points to lead Jennings, with Donnell Carter and Trevon Love both scoring 11 for the Warriors.

“Games like today are the difference whether are you going to win 23, 24 games or are you going to 14, 15 games?,” Eric Smith said. “You can’t let these types of games go by the wayside. You have to take advantage of your opportunities. Are you tough enough to come back and win a game like this at 2 o’clock on a Saturday?”

The Redbirds were not on this Saturday and their coach said the reasons were not on the bench in street clothes.

“We can talk about how difficult it is,” Smith said. “But the frustrating part for us is we didn’t run a single set correctly today. If you can’t do that, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got 30 kids.

The suspensions depleting the roster will extend into the Centralia Holiday Tournament, when some of the players are expected back after the first round. Until then, the Redbirds must adjust and overcome adversity. “We don’t have any other choice,” Smith said.

And winning with the players available, Clay insists, should be the result.

“We’ve got to play through it and we’ve got to play hard,” Clay said. “Like I said, we’ve got the pieces. We’ve got to put it together and everybody has to buy in. When we do that, we’ll come out with some W’s.”

Redbirds can’t repeat, fall to Jennings in shootout

Alton flat in shootout loss to Jennings

Greg Shashack, gshashack@thetelegraph.com

 Updated 10:43 am CST, Sunday, December 16, 2018

Photo:

Greg Shashack / The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 3

Alton’s Donovan Clay (11) heads upcourt on the break ahead of Jennings’ Donnel Carter (1), Trevon Lane (3) and Vernell Sims (right) while the Redbirds’ Drew Jones trails the play Saturday afternoon at the

... more

WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. – The grit that carried the Alton Redbirds to a dramatic Southwestern Conference victory Friday night failed to make it across the river Saturday afternoon.

Repeated Redbird threats fell short in the second half and the Jennings Warriors beat Alton 60-55 in the Ramey Shootout at Webster Groves High School.

Recommended Video

00:11

01:11

The Redbirds, who scored off an inbounds play at the buzzer to beat Collinsville a night earlier, trailed for most of their shootout date with the Warriors and dropped to 4-5. Jennings is 5-1.

“As tough as we were last night,” Alton coach Eric Smith said, “we were pretty much the opposite today.”

The Redbirds bench, left short with the ongoing suspension of seven players from an incident in their third game, got shorter Saturday with Izeal Terrell fulfilling a previous commitment to make his official visit to Southeast Missouri before signing a football scholarship with the Redhawks.

Alton used just six players against Jennings, but the deficiencies went beyond manpower for the Redbirds.

“I just think we didn’t work hard enough as a team,” Alton’s Donovan Clay said. “Everybody wouldn’t buy in. We’re short and that makes it hard, but it’s no excuse. We’ve still got the pieces to win big games like this.”

The 6-foot-7 Clay did his part, hitting 9 of 9 free throws and scoring 25 points. Malik Smith and Ky’lun Rivers both scored 10 points and Moory Woods added eight points for the Redbirds.

“We took some bad, bad shots today,” Eric Smith said.

Jennings led 28-24 at halftime and took that four-point margin to the fourth quarter with a 44-40 lead after Clay scored five unanswered points in the final minute of the third quarter to cut into the Warriors’ biggest lead at nine points.

But with the Redbirds going scoreless in the first four minutes of the final period, Jennings grew the lead back to eight. Malik Smith’s 3-pointer with six seconds left got Alton within 58-55, but the Warriors survived.

“There were breakdowns,” Eric Smith said of his team’s inability to ever regain a lead after the second quarter. “Just plays you’ve got to make if you want to win a game.”

Elijah Hicks scored 22 points to lead Jennings, with Donnell Carter and Trevon Love both scoring 11 for the Warriors.

“Games like today are the difference whether are you going to win 23, 24 games or are you going to 14, 15 games?,” Eric Smith said. “You can’t let these types of games go by the wayside. You have to take advantage of your opportunities. Are you tough enough to come back and win a game like this at 2 o’clock on a Saturday?”

The Redbirds were not on this Saturday and their coach said the reasons were not on the bench in street clothes.

“We can talk about how difficult it is,” Smith said. “But the frustrating part for us is we didn’t run a single set correctly today. If you can’t do that, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got 30 kids.

The suspensions depleting the roster will extend into the Centralia Holiday Tournament, when some of the players are expected back after the first round. Until then, the Redbirds must adjust and overcome adversity. “We don’t have any other choice,” Smith said.

And winning with the players available, Clay insists, should be the result.

“We’ve got to play through it and we’ve got to play hard,” Clay said. “Like I said, we’ve got the pieces. We’ve got to put it together and everybody has to buy in. When we do that, we’ll come out with some W’s.”

Redbirds can’t repeat, fall to Jennings in shootout

Alton flat in shootout loss to Jennings

Greg Shashack, gshashack@thetelegraph.com

 Updated 10:43 am CST, Sunday, December 16, 2018

Photo:

Greg Shashack / The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 3

Alton’s Donovan Clay (11) heads upcourt on the break ahead of Jennings’ Donnel Carter (1), Trevon Lane (3) and Vernell Sims (right) while the Redbirds’ Drew Jones trails the play Saturday afternoon at the

... more

WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. – The grit that carried the Alton Redbirds to a dramatic Southwestern Conference victory Friday night failed to make it across the river Saturday afternoon.

Repeated Redbird threats fell short in the second half and the Jennings Warriors beat Alton 60-55 in the Ramey Shootout at Webster Groves High School.

Recommended Video

00:11

01:11

The Redbirds, who scored off an inbounds play at the buzzer to beat Collinsville a night earlier, trailed for most of their shootout date with the Warriors and dropped to 4-5. Jennings is 5-1.

“As tough as we were last night,” Alton coach Eric Smith said, “we were pretty much the opposite today.”

The Redbirds bench, left short with the ongoing suspension of seven players from an incident in their third game, got shorter Saturday with Izeal Terrell fulfilling a previous commitment to make his official visit to Southeast Missouri before signing a football scholarship with the Redhawks.

Alton used just six players against Jennings, but the deficiencies went beyond manpower for the Redbirds.

“I just think we didn’t work hard enough as a team,” Alton’s Donovan Clay said. “Everybody wouldn’t buy in. We’re short and that makes it hard, but it’s no excuse. We’ve still got the pieces to win big games like this.”

The 6-foot-7 Clay did his part, hitting 9 of 9 free throws and scoring 25 points. Malik Smith and Ky’lun Rivers both scored 10 points and Moory Woods added eight points for the Redbirds.

“We took some bad, bad shots today,” Eric Smith said.

Jennings led 28-24 at halftime and took that four-point margin to the fourth quarter with a 44-40 lead after Clay scored five unanswered points in the final minute of the third quarter to cut into the Warriors’ biggest lead at nine points.

But with the Redbirds going scoreless in the first four minutes of the final period, Jennings grew the lead back to eight. Malik Smith’s 3-pointer with six seconds left got Alton within 58-55, but the Warriors survived.

“There were breakdowns,” Eric Smith said of his team’s inability to ever regain a lead after the second quarter. “Just plays you’ve got to make if you want to win a game.”

Elijah Hicks scored 22 points to lead Jennings, with Donnell Carter and Trevon Love both scoring 11 for the Warriors.

“Games like today are the difference whether are you going to win 23, 24 games or are you going to 14, 15 games?,” Eric Smith said. “You can’t let these types of games go by the wayside. You have to take advantage of your opportunities. Are you tough enough to come back and win a game like this at 2 o’clock on a Saturday?”

The Redbirds were not on this Saturday and their coach said the reasons were not on the bench in street clothes.

“We can talk about how difficult it is,” Smith said. “But the frustrating part for us is we didn’t run a single set correctly today. If you can’t do that, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got 30 kids.

The suspensions depleting the roster will extend into the Centralia Holiday Tournament, when some of the players are expected back after the first round. Until then, the Redbirds must adjust and overcome adversity. “We don’t have any other choice,” Smith said.

And winning with the players available, Clay insists, should be the result.

“We’ve got to play through it and we’ve got to play hard,” Clay said. “Like I said, we’ve got the pieces. We’ve got to put it together and everybody has to buy in. When we do that, we’ll come out with some W’s.”