There will be some prime-time action taking place in the Metro East this weekend with both games involving the top-ranked Edwardsville Tigers.
On Friday night, Edwardsville (16-1) will visit Belleville East (17-2) in a big Southwestern Conference showdown. Edwardsville suffered its only loss at the hands of Belleville East earlier this season.
Both teams are coming off winning tournament championships last weekend. Belleville East won its own Mid-Winter Classic with a 76-68 victory over previously undefeated Madison Prep. Edwardsville blew through the competition to win the Salem Tournament in Southern Illinois. It was Edwardsville’s third tournament title of the season.
On Saturday night, Edwardsville will face another formidable foe when it tangles with top area school school Cahokia in the featured game of the Pickneyville Basketball Showcase in Pickneyville (Ill). Cahokia is currently 20-2 after winning the Jerseyville Tournament last week.
Some of the area’s top talent will be on display in those two games as Edwardsville features the 6’5” senior duo of Garret Covington and Tre Harris; Belleville East is led by 6’7” senior Malcolm Hill, Jr. and 6’3” junior Darreon Reddick while Cahokia features 6’2” senior Keenan Minor, 6’7” junior Darius Austin and 6’6” senior Vincent Jackson.
Girl Tigers win big
The Edwardsville girls enjoyed a big week as it defeated two of the top contenders for the Missouri Class 5 state championship. The Tigers defeated St. Joseph’s Academy 61-52 last Tuesday night, then followed up with a 70-58 road victory at defending Class 5 state champion Columbia Rock Bridge on Friday night. The Tigers are currently 20-0. They were the Illinois Class 4A state runners-up in 2012.
Single-game scoring record
Francis Howell North senior guard Kyle Lemons entered the school’s record books last week with a 40-point performance in the Knights’ 65-55 victory over Fort Zumwalt West. Lemons broke the single-game scoring record, which was previously held by former Howell North standout and SLU Billiken Chris Sloan. The 6’3” Lemons has been back for six games after suffering a shoulder injury at the beginning of the season.
On point in Pattonville
Former Jennings High and Mizzou standout Kelly Thames is doing an excellent job as the second-year head coach at Pattonville. The Pirates are currently 11-3 after their 66-61 victory over McCluer North last Friday. The Pirates have a very nice backcourt in senior Darren Davidson and junior Eddie Longmeyer. Davidson averages 18 points a game while Longmeyer averages 10.6 points. Sophomore Jacob Knox (6’5”) is an emerging young post player.
On tap this weekend
CBC will visit Chaminade in a Metro Catholic Conference showdown on Friday at 7 p.m.; Webster Groves will put its 81-game winning streak in the Suburban South Conference on the line when its host Rockwood Summit on Friday at 7 p.m.; John Burroughs will visit Westminster in a Metro League showdown on Friday at 7 p.m. The championship of the Ameritime Tournament will be held on Friday night at Missouri Baptist U. at 8:30 p.m. Hazelwood Central and DeSmet entered the tournament as the top two seeds.
