Forfeit to Waterloo; lose to Roxana, 46-45; Red Bud, 49-31; and Althoff, 49-27
By Jim Beers, Contributing Writer
CHESTER — The Chester High School Lady Jackets Basketball Team traveled to Red Bud, December 27-30 to compete in the 2021 Red Bud Girls Christmas Tournament. The girls, who have played short-handed the entire 2021 season, had a rough way to go at Red Bud from the first day!
Chester freshman Riley Conley (4) came into her own at the Red Bud Girls Christmas Tournament. For the 4-game event, Conley scored a total of 29 points in games of 11, 9, 6 and 3 points for the Lady Jackets varsity girls. Jim Beers Photo
Alyssa Seymour (44) was Chester’s top scorer at the 2021 Red Bud Girls Christmas Tournament. For the tournament Seymour scored 9 points against Althoff, 21 points against East Alton-Wood River, 24 points against Roxana, and 5 points against Red Bud for a total of 59 points. Jim Beers Photo
Monday December 27 Chester was supposed to open the tournament vs Waterloo but had to forfeit due to a lack of players. One player was still on a Christmas vacation trip and another was out on Covid protocol, so Coach Clint Cowan and his remaining five players had to forfeit the first of what was supposed to be five games in four days.
Tuesday December 28 the Jackets played Roxana at 2:00 p.m. losing a close one by just one point, 46-45 in overtime. They returned to play hosts Red Bud for the nightcap at 8:00 p.m. and lost, 49-31.
Wednesday December 29 Chester faced East Alton-Wood River at 5:00 p.m. getting a much-needed win, 48-29 over the Lady Oilers. CHS closed out the tournament Thursday December 30 at 12:00 noon against Belleville Althoff, falling to the Lady Crusaders, 49-27, to end a very disappointing week of basketball.
Monday December 27: CHS forfeits to Waterloo due to having only five players) (0-1)
Tuesday December 28 at 2:00 p.m., Roxana 46-Chester 45 in overtime (0-2)
Chester rebounded from a very disappointing Monday evening forfeit to Waterloo with a great, hard-fought game Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. against the Roxana Lady Shells.
The Jackets led 12-9 after the first quarter behind the scoring of Alyssa Seymour (4), Riley Conley (4), Jazzi Merideth (2) and Emma Diskey (2).
CHS returned in the second period with an impressive 8:00 minutes as Seymour knocked down three baskets and Merideth contributed one bucket to help Chester outscore Roxana, 8-3, in the second quarter to lead, 20-12 at halftime.
The Shells came alive in the second half to outscore the Jackets, 18-9, in the third quarter and take a one-point, 30-29 lead after three quarters of action. During that stretch, Chester’s Riley Conley drained a three-pointer and knocked down a free throw to pace Chester.
Roxanna was led by Kinsley Mouser who drained a pair of three-pointers and a pair of traditional two-pointers to pace the Shells with ten of their eight points.
Trailing by just one point in the fourth quarter, Chester outscored Roxana 7-6 to tie the game, 36-36, at the end of regulation and send the game into overtime.
In that final stretch, Chester’s Alyssa Seymour saved the day and scored six-of-Chester’s seven points with two baskets and 2-of-5 free throws for six points. Roxana was led, once again, by Mouser who made back-to-back field goals for four of the Shells’ six points.
The overtime period was hard-fought, exciting and heart-breaking. The Lady Jackets fell short by one point as Roxana ended the overtime period with one more point than Chester, outscoring the Jackets 10-9, to win the game, 46-45.
In the overtime, Seymour made all four of her free throw attempts to pace Chester with four points. Riley Conley drained her second trey of the afternoon and Camrynn Howie hit a basket for Chester’s nine points.
The Lady Jackets sent Roxana to the free throw line ten times in the overtime. The Lady Shells connected for 7-of-10 to end the game along with a three-pointer by senior Lexi Ryan to edge out Chester by one point as the final buzzer sounded.
In the loss, Chester was led by Alyssa Seymour who led all scorers on either team with 24 points. Freshman Riley Conley also scored in double figures with 11 points, followed by Jazzi Merideth (5), Camryn Howie (3), and Emma Diskey (2). For the game, CHS made 14 two-pointers and just two three-pointers. They were 11-of-26 from the free throw line (42%).
Roxana was paced by sophomore Kinsley Mouser who scored 16 points, followed by Lexi Ryan (12), Laynle Gehrs (8), Alyssa Luck (6), and Abby Gehrs (4). For the game, the Shells hit 12 two-pointers and four three-pointers. They were 10-of-17 from the charity stripe (59%).
With the loss, and forfeit the night before, Chester dropped to an overall record of 6-8 and 0-2 in the tournament.
Tuesday December 28 at 8:00 p.m., Red Bud 49-Chester 31
At 8:00 p.m. the Lady Jackets faced tournament hosts, the Lady Musketeers in the nightcap game. Red Bud was a solid team with a roster of 11 players, 4 seniors, 2 juniors and 5 sophomores. Add to that fact, Chester had already player a hard fought, overtime game at 2:00 p.m., so it was all downhill throughout the Jacket’s second game of the day.
Red Bud exploded to a ferocious 22-6 first quarter lead to set the tone of the nightcap. In the second quarter, the Lady Jackets outscored the Musketeers, 9-6, but trailed by 13 points, 28-15 at halftime.
After the popcorn break, the Jackets stayed with the Musketeers with Red Bud edging out Chester, 10-9, to lead, 38-23 after three quarters of battle.
Facing a 15-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter, Chester held the Musketeers to only 11 points, but added only eight points to their total to end the game down by 18 points, 49-31 at the buzzer. The first quarter was devastating for Chester as they trailed by 17 points after the first frame.
In the loss, CHS was led by Riley Conley and Camrynn Howie who each scored nine points apiece. Jazzi Merideth added eight points and Alyssa Seymour contributed five to complete Chester’s 31 points. The Jackets made seven two pointers and five three-pointers for the night as Riley Conley hit three treys and Jazzi Merideth hit two treys. CHS was 2-of-6 at the line (33%).
Red Bud was paced by Hannah Sievers who scored 19 points, followed by Addi Dilley and Lyla Hess with seven points apiece, Chloe Wild (6), Alexis Koester and Sam Kolweier with three points apiece, and Madison Pensoneau and Madison Falkenhain with two points apiece.
The Lady Musketeers hit 14 two-pointers and six three-pointers in the win and were 3-of-4 from the free throw line (75%).
With the loss the Lady Jackets fell to 6-9 for the season and 0-3 in the Red Bud Tournament.
Wednesday December 29, Chester 48- East Alton-Wood River 29 (1-3)
Wednesday was a new day for the Jackets and they came to play the East Alton-Wood River Lady Oilers at 5:00 p.m. CHS ran out to a 16-5 early lead in the first quarter behind the scoring of Alyssa Seymour who scored six points on back-to-back field goals and 2-of-3 free throws.
Camrynn Howie added four points with a field goal and perfect 2-for-2 free throw shooting. Riley Conley contributed three points with a basket and a free throw and Jazzi Merideth threw in a shot for two points. Kailyn Absher rounded out the roaring first quarter with a free throw.
The Jackets continued their offensive domination in the second period outscoring the Oilers 8-6 to take a 24-11 lead into the locker took at halftime. The lead could have been much larger as Chester went to the free throw line 16 times in the first half but only connected for seven of those free shots (43%).
After the halftime break the Jackets went back to work with Seymour pacing the team once again with 11 points with five field goals and a free throw. Camry Howie added three more points to give Chester 14 points.
The Oilers were much improved in the third quarter scoring 11 points behind Emily Johnson who made three field goals for six points. Milla LeGette added three points and Makayla Quigley hit a basket to round out the Oilers’ 11-point effort. Chester led, 38-22 after three quarters of play.
Down the stretch CHS outscored EAWR, 10-7, to win the game, 48-29. In that stretch, Camryn Howie was 4-4 at the free throw line. Seymour was 3-for-4 at the line and Emma Diskey was perfect with 2-for-2 free throw shooting. Kailyn Absher was the only Jacket to hit a basket in the fourth quarter to round out the 10-point effort.
In the win Alyssa Seymour led the Lady Jackets with 21 points. Camryn Howie made it into the scorebook with 11 points to score in double figures. Other offensive contributors included Riley Conley and Kailyn Absher with six points apiece and Jazzi Merideth and Emma Diskey with two points apiece.
For the game Chester made 14 two-pointers and just one Riley Conley three-pointer. At the free throw line Chester was 17-for-33 (51%). With the win, the Lady Jackets improved to 7-9 for the season and 1-3 in the Red Bud Tournament.
East Alton-Wood River was laced by Milla LeGette (11), followed by Makayla Quigley (9), Emily Johnson (7), and Jordan Ealey (2). The Oilers hit 11 two-pointers and one three-pointer. For the game EAWR went to the free throw line 13 times and made just four shots (31%).
Thursday December 30 at 12 noon, Belleville Althoff 49-Chester 27
To close out the tournament Chester hosted Belleville Althoff in the 12 noon game. A weak first quarter doomed the Lady Jackets as the Lady Crusaders outscored CHS 12-1 in the opening period. A Jazzi Merideth free throw was Chester’s only score of the frame.
The Crusaders’ Isabella Peterson led the charge for Althoff with nine points on three two-pointers and a trey.
The second quarter was very competitive with the Lady Jackets maintaining pace with the Lady Crusaders. Althoff did outscore CHS 14-12, but the Jackets played much better once they got warmed up in the second period.
Kailyn Absher hit two field goals and made both of her free throw attempts to pace Chester with six points. Alyssa Seymour made a field goal and 2-of-4 free throws for four points while Camryn Howie got in the books with a field goal for two points.
The Lady Crusaders were led by Alaina Lester who scored six points on three field goals. Addison Leib hit a trey and Jenna Roper added five points. At halftime, Althoff led the Jackets by 13 points, 26-13.
In the second half, the Crusaders outscored Chester 10-6 in the third quarter to lead 36-19 and 13-8 in the fourth quarter to win the game, 49-27.
In the loss Chester did not have any player in double figures. Alyssa Seymour led the Jackets with nine points followed by Kailyn Absher (8), Camryn Howie (6), Riley Conley (3), and Jazzi Merideth (1).
The Jackets made six two pointers and two treys for the day. From the free throw line Chester was 9-of-15 (60%). With the loss the Lady Jackets fell to an overall record of 7-10 and ended the tournament with one win, a forfeit, and three losses.
Althoff was paced by two players in double figures. Isabella Peterson scored 20 points and Alaina Lester scored 18 points. Other contributors included Jenna Roper and Addison Leib with five points apiece and Emilee Travnicek with one point. The Crusaders made 20 traditional two-pointers, two three-pointers and 3-of-6 free throws (50%).