Spencer Homes Female Athlete Of Month: Kennedy Gieseking Makes Important Contributions To Tigers Girls Basketball Team

EDWARDSVILLE - Sophomore guard Kennedy Gieseking is perhaps the most important player who comes off the bench for the girls' basketball team at Edwardsville, and makes very important contributions to the success of the Tigers.

In a game on Feb. 4, 2025, against Collinsville, Gieseking scored seven points off the bench, including a key three, as the Tigers took control in an 18-0 run in the third quarter to defeat the Kahoks 55-26. In an Edwardsville win over East St. Louis two nights later, she scored two points in a 76-36 win over the Flyers and made good contributions to a Tigers win at Granite City on Friday night, making the Tigers' record 16-9.

Kennedy is a Spencer Homes Female Athlete of the Month for Edwardsville.

For the season, Gieseking is averaging 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game, going along with three assists, eight steals, and a blocked shot. She's a very reliable player off the bench for the Tigers, and showed it in the win over the Kahoks, and was very pleased with her team's effort, especially in the second half.

"I think that we came out really strong in the second half," Gieseking said in a postgame interview after the Collinsville contest. "We turned the ball over, getting fast breaks. It was a really good team effort, and the bench was very loud, so it gave us more momentum."

The Tigers took control of the game against Collinsville with an 18-0 run to start the third quarter, and it helped make Gieseking very happy afterward.

"It was really impressive," Gieseking said. "I was really glad that we could be able to turn the ball over, just get fast breaks, and be able to keep pushing that lead."

It came after a difficult first half, where Collinsville came to within two points, and were threatening before the Tigers iced the game in the second half.

"Coach (Bryan Young) had a good talk with us in the locker room," Gieseking said. "It really brought us the momentum to be able to get back in this game, and really prove to ourselves we are better than this team."

Gieseking's contributions off the bench have helped the Tigers mightily this season, and she credits it to always being ready when needed.

"I just like to come in, and do my best," Gieseking said, "play my role, shoot the ball, play some good defense, and do whatever I can to help my team."

The IHSA Class 4A playoffs will be starting soon, and Gieseking is looking ahead to the competition.

"I think we have a great chance to be able to come in," Gieseking said, "We need to just beat all the teams, and be able to make it further and further, hopefully make it to state."

There is also competition ahead in the Southwestern Conference, where the playoffs will go through locally, and good teams to contend against, as well.

"I think that we've first got to get through O'Fallon," Gieseking said, "of course, and all the other teams. I think Alton is our biggest post-season challenge, and we're ready to beat them."

Gieseking feels confident about Edwardsville's chances going into tournament time.

"I know we have really good chances," Gieseking said, "and just beating the rest of the conference teams, and then, going into the regionals and sectionals. I think we have a very good chance to beat the teams, and win the regional and sectional."

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