Week 2 Southern Illinois: New Faces Stepping Up in Old Places

As more games are being played in Illinois some new names are starting to grab the headlines. These players may already have varsity experience but they are stepping up to a higher level in a prominent program that has lost prominent talent or leadership. Here are some of those girls: <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="124890" first="Macy" last="Silvey"] Macy had a big week in a couple of nice wins for the Edwardsville Lady Tigers. She is being counted on to step into the starting lineup and play a key role after the graduation of point guard Que Love. Macy had 22 points in a win over Belleville East and 14 points in a victory over Civic Memorial. Down the stretch of the CM game Macy had two crucial baskets and played a huge part in handling the non stop pressure put on by the Lady Eagles.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="123609" first="Tori" last="Standefer"] Tori has stepped up her game in her last season with Civic Memorial. Having lost two key four year starters to graduation the Lady Eagles are in need of consistency and scoring, Tori is providing both. This week she had 14 in a victory over Okawville and 22 in a loss to Edwardsville. During the Edwardsville game Tori went off for19 in the first half and caused Edwardsville to change their defensive approach to slow her down. Tori is not just a scorer, she excels on the defensive end and has the speed to excel in a fast paced college game.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="148161" first="Shakara" last="McCline"] Shakara has had to step up into a bigger role than planned with some roster turnover for East Side and she is certainly putting up the points early on. She is averaging 20 points per game and 7.5 rebounds through the first two games. Shakara has a good skill set that combines with her athletic talents to be a tough player to guard. She excels when she is on the move but can also create her own space in the half court set. Shakara will need to carry a big load but be smart and selective in her decision making. She was very efficient against Belleville West, getting 23 points off 15 shots.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="124869" first="Elle" last="Evans"]Elle is a very long and active wing that is also being counted on to take her game to another level for Edwardsville. She handles the ball for them and can get the team into the offense and provided a nice scoring punch. Many teams will be working to slow down leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id="78769" first="Sydney" last="Harris"], so the shooting from Elle can be critical at times. She had 20 points in the victory over Belleville East and 12 against Civic Memorial in key wins this week.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="160152" first="Alyssa" last="Cole"] Alyssa has been a big part of the Nashville team the past two years but now steps into a role of a leader and a player that has to produce. While there are other talented players on the team, I think Alyssa will need to produce and thus far she has. Alyssa combines her size and strength together with wing skills to make her hard to stop. She can beat you off the dribble, in the post or shooting the 3-pointer. So far Alyssa has contributed with big scoring games, including 25 in a win over Sparta as they have started 3-0 in SIRR conference play.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="160153" first="Chloe" last="White"] Chloe has stepped her game up and is going to be number one option in most cases for Jerseyville. [player_tooltip player_id="123584" first="Clare" last="Breden"] decided to move on with the opportunity to play in college at McKendree which turns the reigns over to this talented 2022 wing. Chloe does a good job of getting into the lane and getting fouled or making her shot. She can shoot from behind the 3-point line too, but it is not her strength yet. Chloe is strong and can handle contact well. So far she has been in double figures every game and is averaging 15.5 per game.</li> </ul> These girls will be counted on to continue to step up their games for these proud programs to continue their success. All of the players except [player_tooltip player_id="123609" first="Tori" last="Standefer"] will be back next year to continue attempting to make a run to state. &nbsp;