GIRLS' BASKETBALL
REDBIRDS POST WIN – A strong second-half propelled host Alton by Granite City, 52-41, Tuesday in a Southwestern Conference game. The Redbirds, beating the Warriors for the second time this season, improved to 5-15 overall and 3-6 in the conference.
Granite City led 20-15 at half, then Alton got going. A 15-0 spree in the third quarter spurred the winners. The Redbirds outscored the Warriors 21-10 in the quarter and 16-11 in the fourth quarter. Granite City dropped to 1-16 overall and 0-9 in the SWC.
“We played with good intensity for three quarters,” AHS coach Bobby Rickman said. “Unfortunately, in the second quarter, we didn’t have what we needed.
“In the second half, our girls responded well, we got our intensity, got more ball movement and we did a much better job offensively. It started with our defense.”
Junior LaJarvia Brown led the way with 13 points, and she had ample assistance. Jewel Wagner contributed 12 points and Ayonna Clanton had 10 points. Catherine Jakich scored 14 points, best for Granite City.
Rickman added, "I’m very proud of how we played coming off a tough stretch of games, having a player out hurt. They got the job done against a tough team that battled us hard.”
The Birds resume SWC competition Thursday at East St. Louis. They are at O’Fallon next Tuesday and welcome Incarnate Word of St. Louis on Thursday, Jan. 29.
BOYS' BASKETBALL
SHELLS BOW TO TAYLORVILLE – A quick start enabled second-seeded Taylorville to race past Roxana, 83-58 in a Pool B game of the Litchfield Tournament.
The Tornadoes, 2-0 in the tourney, meet third-seeded Civic Memorial at 7:30 Friday in a tournament semifinal game. The Eagles are 11-6.
Top-rated Greenville meets Litchfield at 6 p.m. Friday in the other semifinal. The championship game is set for 7 p.m. Saturday.
Taylorville built a 28-15 lead by the end of the first quarter and led 47-24 in beating Roxana, now 9-11. Trace Gentry scored 23 points for the Shells and teammate Randy Skiff pitched in 10 points.
The Shells outscored the Tornadoes 17-7 in the fourth quarter after Taylorville shot ahead 76-41 after three quarters.
Roxana, which slipped to 9-11, clashes with Hillsboro at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in its next game at Litchfield. If the Shells win, they will play at 7:30 Friday night for ninth place. If they lose, they’ll go again at 6 p.m. for 11th place.
East Alton-Wood River, meanwhile, faces Nokomis at 7:30 Thursday in the Oilers’ next game. If the Oilers win, they will play at 4 p.m. Saturday for third place. If they lose Thursday, they have a 2:30 date Saturday for fifth place.
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