EDWARDSVILLE - Journey Anderson has been enjoying a successful freshman season for the Edwardsville High girls basketball varsity, and the guard who handles the ball for the Tiger offense, as well as hitting key three-point shots, is looking ahead to her first IHSA postseason.
Anderson, who scored a team-leading 14 points in a 62-39 loss at home to Alton on Jan. 29.
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She has averaged nearly 11 points and 3 rebounds a game for the Tigers on the season and has been one of the squad's leading scorers. She also had contributed several assists and steals. As a freshman, she has had a strong impact on the Edwardsville girls' basketball team.
Journey is a Spencer Homes Female Athlete of the Month for the Tigers.
In a postgame interview following the loss to the Redbirds, she felt her game was vastly improved from he first meeting against Alton.
"I think I handled the pressure in this game a lot better," she said of the effort against the Redbirds. "In the last game, we had a lot of turnovers, and I just wasn't handling the ball well down the court. But this game, I definitely turned it around, made the right plays, and scored when we needed to, and got it back."
Alton's aggressive defense helped the Redbirds tremendously, and when the Tigers made a pair of comeback attempts, Alton came up with the answers when they needed them, and gradually pulled away in the final quarter.
"I think next time, hopefully, we'll see them in the postseason, and I think we've got it.
Anderson feels that she has played well overall this season and has positively helped the team.
"Personally, I think I've had a lot of growth this season from last season," Anderson said, "and have just really improved as a better team player, and just being what my team needs in scoring when we need to, and just positively making the right plays."
Her goals and aspirations for herself and the team are very simple.
Anderson closed by saying, "I hope to keep pinning down shots and just playing aggressive defense, and being the team I know we can be."
