The St. Louis area was the place to be last week if you wanted to see some high-scoring games. Usually, scores in the 40’s and 50’s are the norm around town, but we had a few scoreboard-busting games that surely entertained the folks who attended them last week.
The one I witnessed last Friday night was the Southwestern Conference showdown between Belleville East and East St. Louis. The host Flyers defeated Belleville East 90-85 in a real thriller.
Senior guard Deshawn Munson was incredible for East Side with 30 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists and eight steals. Muscular power forward Johnny McCray added 28 points for the Flyers. Standout guard Malcolm Hill led Belleville East with 37 points while junior Darreon Reddick added 21 points.
Last Thursday night, Riverview Gardens edged McCluer North 95-91 in an overtime show-stopper at “The View.” Senior guard Tyrin Williams led all scorers with 41 points for Riverview. McCluer North was led by juniors Dorian Holland and Rashad Lindsey, who scored 35 and 31 points, respectively.
In a Suburban East game on Friday night, Jennings defeated Clayton 92-84 as Courtney Stockard led the winners with 32 points and Brandon Hollins added 22 points.
In another Suburban East game, McCluer South-Berkeley defeated Affton 93-75 in another shootout.
Viking watcher
One of the more interesting teams to watch as the season continues to unfold are the Normandy Vikings. Normandy has quietly emerged as one of the teams to watch in Class 4. The Vikings have scored victories over Maplewood, Duchesne and Ladue, who are all contenders in their respective classes. Normandy also led Illinois small-school power Cahokia in the fourth quarter before losing a close game. The Vikings are good size and athleticism up front and some solid guards as well. Do not sleep on Normandy.
Big Games this Week
Hazelwood Central has a couple of big games this week. The Hawks will visit Maplewood in a big nonconference game tonight. On Saturday, Central will visit Riverview Gardens in a game that could decide the Suburban North Conference championship.
East St. Louis will visit Belleville West in a Southwestern Conference game on Friday night. The Flyers entered the week on an 11-game winning streak.
On Saturday, Cardinal Ritter will take on Duchesne in the Archdiocesan Athletic Association Showcase at St. Francis Borgia at 2 p.m. It will be the feature game of several contests involving AAA schools.
Arch Angels Tryouts
On the women’s semi-pro basketball front, the Arch Angels of St. Louis will be holding tryouts on Saturday, February 9 at the Rec O Plex (2038 Chambers Road) in St. Louis. The tryouts will be held from 5-7 p.m. Prospective players must be at least 20 years of age and have had collegiate playing experience. Players must submit contact information to the team’s Facebook page @ Arch Angels Basketball. Also, list college, height and weight.
