Edwardsville Girls Show Resilience in Regional Championship Game Against Alton

Edwardsville Tigers vs Alton Redbirds Girls Class 4A Edwardsville Regional championship game

EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville’s girls basketball season ended one win short of a regional title, but first-year coach Kaylie Gudka said she is taking encouragement from the way her team competed in a 49-33 loss to Alton in the Edwardsville Girls Regional championship on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026.

Edwardsville, which finished 14-15 overall, lost to Alton in the regional final. Gudka said the Tigers had “such good moments” and pointed to stretches where her team showed what it is capable of, even as it struggled to generate offense.

“We had such good moments, and I don’t want to dwell on all the negative,” Gudka said. “We had such good moments tonight and on the season overall."

Gudka credited Alton for its preparation and execution, while also praising Edwardsville’s effort in trying to rally after falling behind.

“Doing scouting reports on Alton is tough, let me tell you,” Gudka said. “But, no, I’ve got to give a lot of credit to them, because they came out and executed their game plan. We just couldn’t get shots; we couldn’t do a ton.

"But, a lot of credit to our girls. They hung in there. We went on this roller coaster a little bit; we got down, and we came up, coming within eight or nine points in the third and fourth quarters. Our girls just didn’t give up, and I appreciate them for that.”

Let us Bring the Party to You!

Shop Local

Riverbend Axe & Games

Get This Deal →

Gudka said the game reflected the Tigers’ season, which she described as marked by ups and downs but also persistence.

“Absolutely,” Gudka said. “How many times we couldn’t get the ball to drop, or how many times did we turn the ball over. We weren’t supposed to be here, right? Our seeding didn’t show us being in this moment, so being able to just prove to ourselves how capable we really are of getting ahead and beating these teams, it’s fun. It’s really fun.”

Gudka also pointed to the group’s willingness to follow her direction in her first season with the program.

“I appreciate their effort. I also appreciate their buy-in. I don’t know how many coaches they’ve gone through, and for them, their senior year, to come in and buy into our program, I couldn’t thank them enough for being ready to go tonight, and be ready and willing, and able to play,” she said.

Looking ahead, Gudka said she is optimistic about where the program is headed.

“As hard as it is, losing these games, we have a great, great group standing next to us,” she said. “I’m really excited about the direction of this program.”

Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.

More like this:

Tigers Stand 11-11 Overall: Edwardsville Tigers Fight Hard in Loss to Alton Redbirds

Jan 30, 2026

City Grabs A Point On The Road In 1-1 Draw At FC Dallas

Apr 13, 2026

O’Fallon Girls Capture 53-42 Win Over Edwardsville, Panthers' Christopher Posts Phenomenal Effort

Feb 6, 2026

Tigers Beat Alton in OT in Rock Island Sectional Semifinal

Mar 4, 2026

City Substitutions Save Late Draw Against New York City FC

Apr 5, 2026