Alton Redbirds vs. Edwardsville Tigers: Sectional Semi-Final

Matthew Clendenin March 4, 2026 @ 01:56 AM

Mascoutah High School hosted the Southwestern Conference Sectional semi-final on 03/03/2026. The competition was intense, and the crowd was overflowing with energy. As the night began, both the Tigers and Redbirds hoped to face Peoria Richwoods Knights. They aimed to meet on Friday, 03/06/2026, after the Knights' dramatic victory.     First Quarter -   [player_tooltip player_id='3472207' first='Matthew' last='Wilson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2962216' first='Brady' last='Niemi'] of the Edwardsville Tigers came out firing in the first quarter. Each hit two three-pointers. This helped the team finish the quarter with fifteen points. The Redbirds did not back down. They received support from point guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/03/redbirds-vs-lancers-regional-showdown-breakdown/" id="3531417">Tysean Jones</a>. Center [player_tooltip player_id='2955393' first='Jamarion' last='Green'] later dunked an electrifying alley-oop. This play thrilled the Redbird crowd. Alton would finish the quarter with sixteen points.     Second Quarter -   The second quarter seemed to soften, especially on offense. [player_tooltip player_id='2962216' first='Brady' last='Niemi'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2277698' first='Miccah' last='Butler'] still stayed active behind the arc for the Tigers, but there were fewer other contributors. The second quarter also brought foul trouble to Devyon Hill-Lomax, the Tigers' center. Hill-Lomax spent much of the night battling with Alton's [player_tooltip player_id='2540188' first='Ryan' last='Howard'] for position. The second quarter ended with Edwardsville leading by just one point, 23–22.     Third Quarter -   The Tigers made a statement in the third quarter. Six players contributed to the effort. [player_tooltip player_id='2749981' first='Rowan' last='Weller'] was a steady presence on the scoring sheet all night with nine points. The Edwardsville Tigers' defense shut down the Alton Redbirds, holding them to just four points for the entire quarter. This was the turning point for the Tigers. They finished the quarter confident and leading 38–26.     Fourth Quarter -   The Tigers seemed to be just eight minutes away from winning the Sectional Championship. Yet, in the Southwestern Conference, the situation can change quickly. Redbirds' [player_tooltip player_id='2540188' first='Ryan' last='Howard'] hit a three-pointer while also drawing a foul to cut the lead to eight points. Then, [player_tooltip player_id='2376270' first='Semaj' last='Stampley'] made a clutch play. He drove hard to the rim. He then hit a three-pointer to bring his team back into the game. After Stampley's three, the Redbirds were within two points of the Tigers. Stampley stepped up at the right moment and helped send the Redbirds to overtime with the Tigers.     Overtime -   Overtime was an intense experience as fans stood, cheered loudly, and watched with hope. It was a fast-paced, back-and-forth quarter, with neither team showing dominance over the other. The difference in overtime was fouls. Late in overtime, a foul sent Edwardsville to the free-throw line. This gave them a one-point lead. To top it off, there were only 0.6 seconds left after Alton inbounded the ball. Unfortunately for the Alton Redbirds, time ran out. The Edwardsville Tigers will now face Peoria Richwoods Knights for the Sectional Finals.

Mascoutah High School hosted the Southwestern Conference Sectional semi-final on 03/03/2026. The competition was intense, and the crowd was overflowing with energy. As the night began, both the Tigers and Redbirds hoped to face Peoria Richwoods Knights. They aimed to meet on Friday, 03/06/2026, after the Knights' dramatic victory.