The Columbia High School girls basketball team coasted through this year’s Candy Cane Classic at Gibault Catholic High School, taking the tourney title on Saturday. 

The Eagles (9-4) toppled Chester, 62-33, in the tourney final on Saturday. Columbia led 21-7 after the first quarter and never looked back. 

Karsen Jany, who was named MVP of the tournament, scored 22 points and had six blocks to lead the Eagles. Jordan Holten added 12 points and 14 rebounds. 

In a non-tourney game at home on Thursday, Columbia lost 61-41 to Breese Central. Jany scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds. 

Jany, a senior, recorded her 1,000th career point in Thursday’s game. 

She’s averaging 17.3 points and nearly eight rebounds per game this season. 

On Monday, Columbia posted a 60-23 victory over Roxana. Holten scored 14 points and both Jany and Ava Langhans added 13 points.

Following a Wednesday match at Oakville, Columbia will play in the Waterloo-Red Bud Holiday Tournament at Waterloo High School over the Christmas break, starting 5 p.m. Tuesday against Roxana. The Eagles then battle Red Bud at 5 p.m. Wednesday. 

Gibault (11-1) dropped its first game of the season Thursday in the Candy Cane Classic semifinals, 43-32 to Chester. 

The Hawks claimed third place in the tourney with a 51-25 win over Waterloo JV on Saturday. 

Kailynne Small led the way with 31 points for Gibault, which plays Wednesday at Wesclin. 

Gibault will also play in the holiday tourney at WHS, starting 3 p.m. Tuesday against Carlyle and then against cross-town rival Waterloo at 7 p.m. Wednesday. 

See the full tourney bracket below.

Small is the leader in points, rebounds and most other offensive categories this season for the Hawks.

Waterloo (7-5) won two of three recent contests as it prepares to host its holiday tourney.

On Monday, the Bulldogs won 58-38 at Jerseyville in a Mississippi Valley Conference clash. Liv Colson led Waterloo with 19 points and nine rebounds. Norah Gum added 16 points and nine rebounds before fouling out.

On Thursday, Waterloo won an MVC game against Civic Memorial, 54-35. Gum had 22 points and 11 rebounds. Colson added 12 points. 

Last Tuesday, the ‘Dogs fell 68-38 to O’Fallon. Gum scored 12 points to lead Waterloo, which committed 24 turnovers on the night. 

Gum leads Waterloo this season with averages of 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game. 

The Bulldogs begin tourney play at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Marissa before taking on the Hawks this coming Wednesday night. 

Valmeyer (3-8) ended Candy Cane Classic play with a 39-36 loss to Metro East Lutheran on Saturday. Kylie Eschmann scored 14 points and Brooke Miller contributed 13 points and eight rebounds. 

In a non-tourney game Thursday, Valmeyer picked up a 53-49 victory over Steeleville. Miller scored 18 points and Avery Proffer added 13 points for the Pirates, who shot 35 percent from the floor.

On Monday, Valmeyer shot just 15 percent from the floor in a 36-34 defeat at Dupo.

Miller had 14 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks for Valmeyer.

She’s leading the team this season at 13.5 points and nearly nine rebounds per game. She also averages more than 2.6 blocks per game.

Dupo (7-4) defeated New Athens on Thursday, 40-29, but lost 30-22 to Steeleville last Tuesday. 

The Tigers will compete in the Christ Our Rock Holiday Tournament in Centralia, starting 12:30 p.m. Tuesday against Johnson City.