Redbird girls basketball team win program's first trophy at state, Alton defense suffocates Loyola in third-place game

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

A-Town's Talia Norman holds up the team's third-place state trophy after defeating Loyola Academy, 54-44. The Alton Redbirds celebrated taking home the program's first state trophy last week.
NORMAL - The Alton girls' basketball team etched its name in school history by defeating defending champions Loyola Academy 54-44 in the Class 4A third-place game at the IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals. Led by seniors Kiyoko Proctor, Jarius Powers, and Talia Norman, the Redbirds secured their first state trophy on Saturday, March 8, on the ISU Redbirds' home court.

"We've been chasing this moment for a long time," said Alton head coach Deserea Howard, surrounded by her team during the postgame conference. "Our biggest battle initially was just getting in the gym. This morning, we decided we would end on a win, and that's exactly what we did."

Howard emphasized that this season's team had prepared by adapting to various styles of play, stating, "You never know what to expect in a state championship (game)."

Since 2019, Alton's girls' basketball program has transformed from a four-win season to consistently achieving 30-plus wins the past three season under Howard. Despite being located in southern Illinois among a handful of Class 4A schools, Howard has molded the Redbirds into a formidable force.

Alton vs Loyola Photo Gallery

Reflecting on their journey, Howard noted the team's determination to finish on a high note after a hard-fought 61-65 loss to Kenwood in the semifinals.

"Yesterday, we discussed the pace and physicality of the game, which is our style. We knew it would be tough, but today we came out and played Alton basketball," Howard said.

Loyola struggled from the start against Alton's speed and size, managing just four points in the first quarter while shooting a dismal 14% from the field. Despite a fourth-quarter resurgence led by Emily Naraky, whose scoring sparked a shooting percentage increase to 63%, it wasn't enough to overturn Alton's strategic lead.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Loyola's Ellie Thompson pleads with an official to reverse a call during second half action against Alton in the Class 3A third-place game.

The moment was not lost on Howard and team members.

"It means a lot because I know how hard we've worked all these years," said Powers, who led the game with 16 points, eight rebounds, and two steals. "We definitely deserve this. I'm proud of how we executed."

Joining Powers in double figures were Proctor with 11 points, and Ja'Kayla Steen and Norman each contributing 10 points. Alton wrapped up the season with an impressive 34-3 record. For Loyola (34-4), seniors Aubrey Galvan and junior Marycait Mackie both scored 11 points, with Naraky adding 10 in their final game of the season.


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Sweet revenge; Nashville crushes Peoria Notre Dame to win girls' 2A basketball title

NORMAL - Last March, in a heartbreaking buzzer-beater, Emy Wardle of Peoria Notre Dame scored a layup with one second left to clinch the Class 2A title, 48-46.

The sting of defeat lingered throughout the season until Saturday night at CEFCU Arena, where The Hornettes exacted revenge in a state title rematch against Peoria Notre Dame. This time, Nashville left no doubt about the superior team, handing the Irish a decisive 55-29 loss.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Nashville's Avery Reeder, is all smiles while carrying the team's newest piece of state hardware. Saturday's trophy is the second one for Hornette program, who won their first state title in 2013.

Only two other teams held PND to fewer than 30 points all season: Alton, who secured a 41-27 victory in the state Class 4A third-place game on Friday, and Missouri's Incarnate Word Academy, who limited the Irish to their lowest output of the season at 26 points, scoring 69 themselves.

After a competitive first quarter, PND struggled over the next three, managing just 18 points total. Nashville surged with an impressive 18-point fourth quarter, sealing the championship and heading home with the hardware south of Interstate 70.

The victory was especially poignant for Nashville's lone senior, Avery Reeder.

"It means so much to me. It's everything I've ever wanted," Reeder said. "Honestly, I always wanted to end my last game with a win. On Thursday, I said I wanted to dominate them, and that's exactly what we did."

Emma Behrmann led Nashville's offense with 14 points, supported by the Brinkman twins, Summer and Samantha, who contributed 13 and 12 points, respectively. Summer also shone defensively with seven rebounds and five steals, while Samantha grabbed six boards and three steals.

Julia Mingus led Notre Dame with 11 points, while Lexi Baer and Cora Heinz added six points each.

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Kenwood topples Alton in girls' 4A state semifinal battle, Powers scores 19 for Redbirds in loss

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Kenwood's Ariella Henigan and Icesis Thomas try to take the ball from Alton's Jarius Powers during second-half action of their Class 4A state semifinal game at CEFCU Arena.
NORMAL - Kenwood High School punched its ticket to the Class 4A championship game, holding off Alton High School 61-55 in a physical semifinal battle Friday at CEFCU Arena in Normal during the IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals.

The Redbirds arrived in Normal with a nearly spotless record, dropping just two games all season—both to out-of-state opponents. They had dominated every Illinois team they faced until Friday's showdown with Kenwood on the home floor of their name-sake Illinois State University Redbirds.

Kenwood wasted no time seizing control. Henigan opened the scoring with a jumper to give the Broncos a 2-0 lead, and they never looked back. Despite an early push from Powers and Proctor, who combined for 14 first-quarter points, the Broncos held the lead for the entire contest.

Kenwood head coach Andre Lewis wasn't surprised Alton made it a fight.

"I knew they were coming back," he explained. "We had a run. They had a run. We had a run ... you just have to withstand it and in the most critical moments, execute."

Fueled by a suffocating full-court press, Kenwood jumped ahead by as many as 14 points in the first quarter and took a 35-30 advantage into halftime. But Alton refused to fade quietly.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Alton's Justice Haynes is tripped up while going for a loose ball with Kenwood's Icesis Thomas. Haynes finished the game with just two points, two assists and a steal. Thomas, who had five points, four steals and two rebounds, will play for Broncos' first state title Saturday evening.

The Redbirds clawed their way back with better rebounding before the break. Powers hauled in four boards and chipped in three points, while Norman scored four, including a crucial three-pointer from Madeleine Ducey. Twice in the third quarter, Alton trimmed the deficit to just one point but couldn't wrestle the lead away from the Broncos.

Senior Ariella Henigan led the way for the Broncos with 18 points, shooting 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. She stuffed the stat sheet, adding three rebounds, five steals, and four assists while logging 31 minutes on the floor. Junior Danielle Brooks chipped in 17 points, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the line, while senior London Walker-George also reached double figures with 12 points.

Alton senior Jarius Powers delivered a double-double with a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Powers entered the semifinal as the Redbirds' second-leading scorer this season with 457 points, trailing only Talia Norman, who added 12 points, five rebounds, and the team's lone block. Kiyoko Proctor also scored 12 points, led the team with four assists, and was perfect from the line at 2-for-2.

Lewis summed up the game in simple terms.

"The game was nothing short of a dogfight," he said. "The action was physical, it was extremely competitive, and it was contentious on both ends. Both teams didn't want to lose."

Alton head coach Deserea Howard echoed that sentiment.

"It was a fast-paced game. A physical game," she said. "We were definitely expecting that. We battled. We battled hard. Obviously, you want to battle harder when you get to this moment."

Howard acknowledged her team's defensive identity but felt they strayed from their usual intensity.

"We didn't really focus hard enough on that," she recounted. "We dug ourselves into a deep hole, and the battle back was intense."

ABOVE: Kenwood's London Walker-George and Icesis Thomas help teammate Danielle Brooks up after a foul play in the first half. BELOW: Alton student fans (left to right) Scarlett Eades, Emily Phillips, Dillan Cowan and David Reese celebrate a three-point shot by the Redbirds in the second half.
Photos: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Despite trailing throughout the game, Howard believed her team had a shot to pull off the comeback, relying on the lessons they had learned during regular season play.

"The battle back made me feel like we had a chance. We had a shot," she said. "You know, when you get to this stage, you can't let yourself get down that far."

Alton will have little time to regroup, returning to action against Loyola Academy in the third-place game Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. The Lady Ramblers fell to Fremd in a double-overtime heartbreaker, 80-74, setting the stage for what promises to be another intense battle.

Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Redbirds' Madeleine Ducey and Talia Norman cutoff Broncos' London Walker-Georgia from attacking the paint near the baseline during first-half action.

Lewis, meanwhile, tipped his cap to Alton's effort.

"The way they play, how they go about their business, and they didn't want to lose," he said, praising the Redbirds' tenacity, determination and the fact they had not lost to an Illinois team all season. "There were two teams that didn't want to lose."

Kenwood prepares to face Fremd on Saturday night for the 4A title. If the Broncos bring the same energy to Doug Collins Court, they might take home the program's first state basketball championship trophy.

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Alton Redbrids enjoy tons of fans support at state basketball championship

Alton student basketball fans cheer for their team
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Antwan Baskin Jr. (right) and Colleen Robinson (left) cheer for the high school basketball team during the IHSA Class 4A semifinal at CEFCU Arena on Friday. The two Redbirds fans, along with hundreds of fellow Alton High School students, showed their support, hoping their team would advance to Saturday's championship game after a showdown with Kenwood (33-3). Alton, which came up short in its first state final four appearance after a 61-55 loss, will face Loyola Academy in the third-place game Saturday morning.
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State Basketball |
Montini hangs on to beat QND in 3A semifinal at girls' state basketball tournament

Montini's Nikki Kerstein
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Montini's Nikki Kerstein keeps the ball away from Notre Dame's Sierra Thomas. Kerstein was the leading scorer in the contest and collected eight boards in the state semifinal Thurday.
BLOOMINGTON - Montini's pursuit of a fifth IHSA state championship remains alive after a hard-fought 50-41 victory over Quincy Notre Dame in a Class 3A state semifinal Thursday night at CEFCU Arena.

In a matchup featuring seven lead changes, the Lady Broncos found their rhythm late, outlasting a Quincy Notre Dame program that has captured six state titles since 1981. Despite holding the lead for nearly three minutes less than their opponent, Montini delivered in key moments to secure a spot in Saturday's Class 3A title game against St. Ignatius at 6 p.m.

Nikki Kerstein powered Montini's offense with a game-high 27 points, shooting 9-for-16 from the field. The 5-foot-8 senior took over in the second half, scoring 16 of her points after the break while also grabbing eight rebounds. Peyton Farrell added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, providing a crucial inside presence for the Lady Broncos.

Quincy Notre Dame kept pace for much of the game behind Tristan Pieper's 14 points and nine rebounds. Jenna Durst chipped in 13 points, while Sage Stratton and Ari Buehler each scored seven to round out the Lady Raiders' offensive effort.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Members of the Montini girls basketball team celebrate after punching their ticket to the Class 3A title game on Saturday at the IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals.

The loss ends Quincy Notre Dame's bid for a seventh state title, forcing the program to wait another year for a chance to add to its championship legacy. Meanwhile, Montini moves one step closer to its first state crown since 2014.

Trailing for extended stretches and utilizing the talents of only five players, Montini found ways to deliver in decisive moments. Kerstein's second-half surge and Farrell's work on the glass proved pivotal as the Lady Broncos maintained composure and capitalized on scoring opportunities when it mattered most despite the starting five playing the full 32-minute game.

With the win, Montini can focus on surpassing another Catholic school powerhouse, St. Ignatius, for the Class 3A championship title and bragging rights for the next year. Quincy Notre Dame will close its season in the third-place game Friday evening at 7:45 p.m. against the Washington's Lady Panthers.

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