One by one, the fans began to load the stands, filling up every empty seat. The intense energy flourished throughout the gym as the game time ticked closer. With the Alton girls’ basketball team being number five in Illinois and Incarnate Word, their opponent, standing at number one in Missouri, this game was no ordinary game.
Head Coach Desiree Howard has been coaching the Lady Redbirds for six seasons, including this current one. Her impact, along with the high-level players, has built the Alton girls’ basketball program tremendously.
“Going into the Incarnate Word game, I wasn’t really nervous, I was excited,” Howard said. “We didn’t have anything to lose. I was just glad that we were even able to be in the same conversation with a team that’s nationally ranked and that in our mind we had the ability to win the game.”
In contrast, senior varsity player Talia Norman had a different state of mind when entering the game.
“Before the game started, I had positive, encouraging energy,but I was a little nervous knowing the team we were up against,” Norman said.
Once the referee blew his whistle, both teams got set and the game was now starting. Off the jump, Incarnate Word scored the first basket quickly. Not too long after, Alton struck back and
Began to put points on the board as well.
“During the beginning of the game, our performance was really good,” Norman said. “We kept up with the past and our intensity was high.”
The crowd cheers echoed throughout the gym as each player hustled up and down the court, competing to come out on top. As the clock ticks down, the first half of the game has come to an end. While Alton strived to keep their lead, Incarnate went on a 11-0 run that closed the half with a score of 35-24
“This was a team that I knew if we stayed composed and we played our game, we could make things really interesting and at times we did,” Howard said. “They were disciplined and poised so it exploited some of our areas.”
Both teams return back to the court after their halftime locker room discussions to complete the last half of the game. During the third quarter, Alton went on a scoring spurt that allowed them to cut the score down. With the last seconds of this quarter coming to an end, the Redbirds remained down, entering the final quarter 42-36.
“We played well, but we could’ve done better when it came to executing our plays,” Norman said.
As the last and final quarter approached, Alton had one last chance to fix their mistakes and use their advantages to over take their opponent. The remainder of the game was like a rollercoaster full of dips and loops.
“This is when we really can determine how good we really are,” Howard said
Sweat dripped down each player’s face as they used their last spurs of energy to push and finish the game out. When it came to the end, Incarnate Word was able to push harder and pull away, winning the game 60-48.
“I knew that it was gonna be a great prep for our ultimate goal which is a state title and after this game I feel much better about that goal,” Howard said.
Although Alton wasn’t able to end the game with a win, it was still a high energy, action filled game that was pleasing for others to watch. Both teams were able to showcase their skills and determine who was the best team on the border.
