Basketball Recap: Mt. Olive Comes Up Short

Mt. Olive was the 62-54 winner over North Greene when they last played one another back in January of 2025, but their luck changed this time around. The Wildcats came up short against the Spartans on Thursday, falling 59-35.

Lauren Bailey

Steals

01/29/26 @ North Greene	7
01/28/26 vs East Alton-Wood River	3
01/22/26 vs North Mac	6
01/20/26 vs Bunker Hill	9
01/19/26 vs Southwestern	5
+ 2 more games

When it comes to explaining why Mt. Olive lost, don't look at Lauren Bailey. Despite the final result, she posted 20 points along with seven steals and six boards. Bailey has been hot, having posted three or more steals the last seven times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Bella Lueken, who put up five points and four steals.

North Greene found their leader in sophomore Sydney Schutz, who went 7-for-13 en route to 18 points in addition to six assists and four steals. Schutz also set a new season-high mark in blocks with three. Another player making a difference was Layna Bushnell, who earned ten points and eight rebounds.

Mt. Olive's loss dropped their record down to 8-11. As for North Greene, their record is now 8-14.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming matchups. Mt. Olive will challenge Pawnee/Calvary/Lutheran at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. As for North Greene, they and Barry Western will face off at 6:00 p.m. on Friday without much rest, having both just played.