EDWARDSVILLE - Although Edwardsville's girls' basketball team lost a close decision to Belleville East 49-47 at: Lucco-Jackson Gym on Jan. 30, 2025, sophomore point guard Sophie Shapiro had perhaps the best quote of the night, from the Tigers' perspective.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
"We'll learn a lot more from this game, and it might be what we needed to fill in some missing pieces, and really prepare us for the postseason," she said.
Shapiro has had a very positive impact on the 13-9 Tigers, averaging 4.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. She also has 42 assists, 38 steals, and four blocked shots to add to her resume, as Edwardsville gets ready for the IHSA Class 4A playoffs, beginning later in February.
She is a Spencer Homes Female Athlete of the Month for the Tigers.
Shapiro has an upbeat, positive look on things for Edwardsville, and felt that the Tigers bounced back well in the second half, after a difficult first half against the Lancers.
"Good comeback, tough first half," Shapiro said, summing up the game. "But Lainey (McFarlin) hit that really good three at the end, Alandyn (Simmons) really stepped up tonight, Mia (Semith) also stepped up tonight in the second half. We can focus on the good things, but we're going to take a lot from this game."
With the February stretch run about to begin, and the playoffs coming up, Shapiro is staying positive about her team's chances and feels the Tigers could go a long way.
"I could only hope for the best," Shapiro said, "hope that we can win the rest of our games this season, and I truly believe we can do that. It's going to take a lot of work, and a lot of team chemistry, but we have it, and we can pull it off.
"Coach (Bryan Young) thinks the loss to Belleville East might be what we needed to really propel us through the end of our games this season. We need to fix up some things we need to work on, and really could show us some gaps that we have."
Indeed, Shapiro does feel the Tigers can do well in the postseason.
"Yeah, I still feel confident," Shapiro said. "The loss was tough, but I always like to think I'm like a bouncy ball, and whenever I hit that wall like that obstacle, I can go just right back. I can bounce right back up."
More like this:
Send your news tips to news@edglentoday.com or on twitter @EdGlenTodayNews