Gilmore continues domination of record book
by Mark Jurgena
Collinsville senior Talesha Gilmore continues to climb in the Kahok record book.
As her career at CHS winds down she finds herself atop the Collinsville girls basketball record book in five categories and sits in the top five in six other categories.
CHS records
Gilmore holds records in career, season and single-game rebounds. She also has made more free throws in her career than any other Kahok and for good measure, owns the record for most blocks in a season with 68 set last season.
Before the Jerseyville game on Monday night, Gilmore had amassed 1,092 rebounds in her career to best the record of 880 set by Raven Berry from 2005-09.
She amassed that record by earning a spot in the top five during the first three years of her career. Her 312 rebounds in her freshman season broke Berry’s record of 291 from 2006-07.
Gilmore followed that with 305 last year after gathering 254 her sophomore year. So far this season she had 228 entering this week.
Not surprisingly she shows up three times on the single game rebounding list as well.
As a freshman, she set the record against Clayton, Mo. in the MICDS Tournament in Ladue, Mo. She pulled down 24 boards in that game played on Dec. 27, 2021.
Last month on Jan. 21, Gilmore grabbed 23 rebounds against Triad at the Highland Tourney to claim the second spot on the list. She grabbed 20 boards at Belleville West on Jan. 23, 2024, to tie Astacia Bush who hit that mark on Feb. 23, 2021, at Alton.
At the free throw line, Gilmore has shown marked improvement over the years hitting 305 tosses from the charity stripe in her career to stand alone atop the Kahok list. Berry had the old record with 290.
Top 5 in the record book
Gilmore became only the third Kahok girls player to surpass the 1500-point barrier in a career last week at Edwardsville. She came into this week with 1542 points which placed her at number two on the list. Autumn Dow who played from 1996-99 tossed in 1663 points in her career.
She is number two in career blocks with 214 only three behind Olympic volleyball gold medalist Michelle Bartsch-Hackley who played at Collinsville from 2004-08.
In the category of the most free throws made in a single season, Gilmore has the number two and three marks. She made 117 last season and heading into this week had made 112. Danielle Crossen made 160 in 2001-02 and leads the way.
This season Gilmore put up 35 points in the season opener at Cahokia on Nov. 19. That mark is third on the Kahok list. Kim Brombolich with 44 points in a game in 1979-80 owns that record. Gilmore scored 33 points against Belleville West last season on Jan. 23 which is fifth on the single game list
She sat at number three on the top five list in career steals with 166 at the start of the week. Faith Liljegren had 352 steals from 2017-20.
Gilmore scored 554 points one year ago which places her at number four on the single season list. Dow scored 705 in 1998-99 to sit atop the Kahok record book.
One year ago she averaged 18.5 points per game which is number five on the list. Brombolich scored 26.8 points per game in 1979-80 to top the list.
Kahok schedule
Collinsville had three games this week on the schedule to conclude their regular season. They hosted Jerseyville on Monday then traveled to O’Fallon on Tuesday. They play at Alton tonight.
Next week begins regional play at Belleville East against the host school.
