The Columbia High School boys basketball squad faced a familiar foe for the title of the Columbia-Freeburg Holiday Tournament at home Friday night.

The Eagles (10-4) topped Marquette by the score of 46-35. It was the third straight holiday tourney title for Columbia.

Thanks to the benefit of 5-for-5 three-point shooting, the Eagles led 17-11 after one quarter. 

The action was back and forth during the second and third quarters before Columbia posted a 12-9 edge in the final frame. 

Sam Donald, a 6-foot-8 junior, led the way with 21 points and 14 rebounds on the night for Columbia. He scored his 1,000th point in the fourth quarter and was named tourney MVP after the team trophy was presented. 

Micah James added 13 points for the Eagles. 

On Thursday, Columbia won 68-35 over Nelson County (Ky.) to reach the tourney final. The Eagles led 39-18 at halftime. 

James was the top point man for Columbia this time, scoring 24  (6-for-12 from three-point range). Brody Landgraf added 15 and Donald added 13 points. 

Last Wednesday, Columbia opened tourney play with two victories. 

First, it was a 51-32 win over Civic Memorial. A 21-11 second quarter run put the Eagles in charge. 

Donald recorded 18 points and seven rebounds; Landgraf added 15 points and eight boards.

Last Wednesday evening, Columbia posted a 57-37 win over rival Gibault. Donald dominated with 24 points and James added 10 points. 

Donald is averaging 20.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game this season for the Eagles, who host Cahokia Conference rival Freeburg this Friday night. 

Waterloo (9-6) went 2-2 in the holiday tourney, losing its top player to injury in the process.

The Bulldogs opened with a narrow 49-46 defeat to Marquette last Wednesday. Waterloo led 39-35 after three quarters but just couldn’t hold on. 

Caleb Yochum and Rodrigo Lopez-Tercero each scored 14 for the ‘Dogs.

Alex Stell, a 6-foot-10 junior, contributed seven points and 16 rebounds. 

Last Wednesday evening, Waterloo survived a scare from Columbia’s junior varsity squad in a 36-30 win. Stell left the game, however, with an undisclosed injury and never returned to tourney action. 

Attempts to reach Waterloo head coach Allen Seidle said Stell is Considered “day-to-day” for the time being.

On Thursday, the Stell-less Bulldogs took down Freeburg to the tune of 58-54. Yochum scored 21 points and Lopez-Tercero contributed 15 points as Waterloo shot 58 percent as a team from the floor.

In the tourney’s third place game on Friday, Waterloo dropped a 66-48 decision to Civic Memorial. 

Yochum scored 15 and Lopez-Tercero scored 11 points. 

Waterloo hosts Highland on Wednesday before playing Tuesday at Steeleville. 

Stell is averaging 19.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game this season. 

Yochum is averaging 14 points per game. Lopez-Tercero is averaging 11.4 points per contest.

Gibault (6-10) also split its four holiday tourney games. 

The Hawks opened with a 52-47 victory last Wednesday over Nelson County. Gavin Kesler led the way with 19 points and 15 rebounds for Gibault. Kanen Augustine added 17 points. 

In the loss last Wednesday evening to Columbia, Kesler led the Hawks with 10 points. 

On Thursday, Gibault dropped a 54-42 game to Civic Memorial despite holding a 38-35 lead entering the fourth quarter. 

On Friday, Gibault concluded tourney play with a 50-39 win over Columbia JV. Kesler, a senior who is averaging 15.6 points per game this season, recorded his 1,000th career point in the win. 

Augustine is averaging nearly 15 points per game for the Hawks, who play Friday at Steeleville and Saturday at Civic Memorial before hosting Chester on Monday. 

Valmeyer (3-9) lost three games in a tourney over the holidays at Valle Catholic in Ste. Genevieve, Mo.

Last Wednesday, the Pirates lost 60-42 to Saxony Lutheran. Landon Roy led Valmeyer with 17 points. 

On Thursday, Valmeyer dropped a 64-51 contest to Valley Park. Aiden Crossin was the top scorer for the Pirates with 19 points. 

On Friday, Valmeyer lost 70-67 to Valle Catholic despite 20 points from Crossin, 17 points from Roy, and 17 points and 13 rebounds from Luke Blackwell.

Valmeyer hosts Lebanon this Friday before playing in the Chester tournament starting Monday against Valle Catholic. 

Crossin is averaging 15.3 points and Roy is averaging 12.3 points per game on the season. 

Dupo (0-10) lost three games over the holidays in a tournament at Piasa Southwestern. 

The Tigers lost 67-35 to Piasa last Wednesday, 88-23 to SIUE Charter on Thursday, and 55-16 to Maryville Christian on Friday. 

Kaden Scheppelman and Keith West have been the top two scorers for Dupo thus far on the season.