Civic Memorial star overcomes challenges to repeat large school BND honor
An inspirational leader on one of the top Class 3A girls basketball programs in the state, Civic Memorial senior Anna Hall had more than her share of ups and downs during the 2019-20 season.
Despite battling nagging injuries, the 6-foot Hall averaged 16.4 points, seven rebounds and nearly three steals for an Eagles team which was ranked among the top 5 in the state for much of the year and won 29 games.
But this season, like those before, ended too soon for Hall and the Eagles, who fell to Mississippi Valley Conference rival Highland in the title game of the Effingham Sectional.
“This year was still a great season for the team and I. We made a run and, unfortunately, we did not go as far as we wanted,” Hall said. “Basketball wise, this season did throw us some curveballs, but the girls and I still played hard and we got to play the game that we all have grown to love.”
The winner of the Belleville News-Democrat Class 3A-4A Player of the Year for the second straight season, Hall played the “game she loves” very well throughout her career.
A Missouri Southern University basketball recruit, Hall ends her high school career third on the Eagles all-time scoring list with 1,700 points. She is also among the all-time school leaders with 917 rebounds.
Civic Memorial coach Jeff Ochs, who took over the Eagles when longtime coach Jonathan Denney resigned following an alleged incident at a tournament in Bloomington in January, also had the opportunity to coach Hall in middle school.
Ochs said Hall was a true competitor as well as being the ideal student-athlete.
“Anna is very determined and is not willing to take no for an answer. She battled nagging injuries all year but refused to sit, even at practice it was hard to keep her out,” Ochs said. “Anna is the kind of player you can build a team around, she is your focal point and I was lucky to get the opportunity to coach her in both middle school and high school.
“Anna is an amazing young lady. She’s a great student, teammate, leader ... she’s the girl you would want to babysit your kids and I will miss her. Anna will make her college coach very happy and he is lucky to have her. I coached Anna in seventh and eighth grade and I still talk about her every year as I break in my new teams — that’s the kind of person she is.”
Despite the injuries and coaching change, Hall continued to excel on the basketball court for the Eagles. With a quick first step, the ability to run the court and her superior basketball knowledge, Hall was tough to stop every time she took the floor.
“I feel that I grew as a basketball player because of my drive,” Hall said. “There is something that when you are a senior, you just want to make the most of every game. The team that I played with this year also had a major impact on me because of the skill levels we had.
“Sometimes our practices were the best competition that we played. Everyone was always pushing each other to get better and I think that it had a big effect on me and my game.”
Ready for career at Missouri Southern
And now Hall will take her game to the next level at Missouri Southern.
“I committed to Missouri Southern because I really enjoyed the atmosphere, and I loved the coaching staff and players. Everyone who is there playing or coaching gives 110% effort all the time, and that is something that I want to be a part of,” Hall said. “I plan to major in biology and then go on to get my PA degree. When I play there, I will be playing the 3 or 4 spot.
“To play at the college level, I feel that I need to improve on some of my guard skills. I did not get to play a ton of guard over the years at Civic Memorial, so I need to make sure my ball handling and shooting is where it needs to be in order to succeed at the college level. “
Belleville News-Democrat Girls Class 3A-4A All-Area Basketball Team
Player of the Year
Anna Hall, Civic Memorial, sr. (16.7 ppg, 7 rebounds, 3 steals)
Coaches of the Year
Nick Knolhoff, O’Fallon; and Clint Hamilton, Highland
First Team
Clare Breden, Jerseyville, jr. (16.4 ppg, 41 3-point FG)
Bella LaPorta, Highland, jr. (12.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg)
Quierra Love, Edwardsville, sr. (11.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3 assists, 3 steals)
Caite Knutson, Collinsville, sr. (14.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.3 assists)
Kayla Gordon, O’Fallon, sr. (12.3 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 assists, 2.1 steals)
Second Team
Amelia Bell, O’Fallon, jr. (12.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
Sydney Harris, Edwardsville, soph. (15.6 ppg, 6.8 rebounds)
Kourtland Tyus, Civic Memorial, sr. (13.5 ppg, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals)
Ellie Brown, Highland, sr. (9.4 ppg, 3.8 assists)
Reese Bennett, Belleville West, soph. (10.6 ppg, 73 3-point FG, 2.6 rpg, 2.3 steals)
Honorable Mention
Tyler Butler, Belleville East; Shannon Dowell, O’Fallon; Elle Evans, Edwardsville; Aubrey Hubbard, Waterloo; Laylah Jackson, Belleville East; Megan Kronk, Highland; Faith Liljegren, Collinsville; Sophia Loden, Mascoutah; Tyana Lovelace, O’Fallon; Abby Manns, Jerseyville; Shakara McCline, East St. Louis; Kristyn Mitchell, Collinsville; Azaria Moore, Granite City; Shaniah Nunn, Belleville West; Jailah Pelly, East St. Louis; Alyssa Powell, Triad; Tori Standefer, Civic Memorial; Kirsten Taylor, Highland; Germayia Wallace, Alton; Tarkeyia Wells, Cahokia; Kaylyn Wylie, Granite City.
