Highland vs Edwardsville: 5 key takeaways

Highland pulled of a big victory over Edwardsville 47-45. This game was a part of the Scott Credit Union Shootout played at Edwardsville on Saturday. Edwardsville got out to an early 12 point lead. Highland was able to close the gap to 6 at halftime. The Lady Bulldogs took control of the game in the 3rd quarter. During the 4th quarter they were able to build the lead to 7 points. The Lady Tigers did not go away and had the ball with 8 seconds left down 2 but were never able to get a shot off. Highland came away with a hard fought 47-45 victory.

• Bella LaPorta a 5’11 Sophomore at Highland was voted the MVP of the game. She had 13 points and was tough on defense and on the boards. Bella is strong and athletic. She is able to finish with both hands in the paint. Bella made 3/4 on her free throws including 2 key free throws late in the game. If Bella can continue scoring inside for Highland it adds another key dimension to their team that is needed.
• Sydney Harris a 6’0 Freshman led Edwardsville in scoring with 16. She hit two huge 3 pointers late in the 4th to give Edwardsville a chance. Sydney can really shoot the ball and made 4/7 from behind the arc in this game. She doesn’t appear to be afraid of the bright lights and was willing to take the big shots. Sydney has a bright future in front of her.
• Ellie Brown a 5’6 Junior for Highland is the real deal. She has improved her range on her outside shot and made three 3 point shots in this game. She handled the ball well against Edwardsville’s full court man to man pressure.Ellie is not looking to pad her own stats and rarely takes a bad shot. Coach Clint Hamiltion seems to look to her as a steadying influence on the court and Ellie comes through consistently.
• Edwardsville is working through many changes to their lineup from last year. Coach Blade has built her program on defense and discipline on offense. I believe that her squad is still learning how to consistently take advantage of what the defense gives them. With Senior Jaylen Townsend and Junior Quierra Love as her most experienced players the rest of the girls still need to be able to execute consistently. I am sure they will learn from this game and move forward.
• Highland is tough to guard. There is constant motion on offense and they will take advantage of your mistakes. There are many options waiting their turn to hit a shot. Senior Mae Riffel is not one of their main scorers at  points per game, but she hit two big 3 pointers in the 3rd quarter. She hit those shots in a time during the game when Highland took their first lead and control of the game. Megan Kronk and Emmy Nyquist each hit a 3 pointer too. This balance makes them hard to control as someone new will step up when needed.

Both programs are likely to have very strong seasons. This was a  fun game to watch and examine the different state of each program. Edwardsville has a veteran coach with an inexperienced roster. Highland has a new coach with a veteran roster, In this game the veteran roster was able to deliver.