Don’t look now, but the Gibault Catholic High School boys basketball team is on a hot streak. 

The Hawks (14-5) went 3-0 to win the Chester Invitational Tournament last week and have won seven straight games.

Gibault picked up a 50-43 victory over Saxony Lutheran to claim the tourney championship on Saturday. Gibault led 10-2 after the first quarter and 26-13 at halftime before holding on late. 

“(We) defended well except during the third quarter of the championship game,” Gibault head coach Dennis Rueter said. “(We) lost our focus in the second half of that championship game but made plays in the fourth quarter to hold on.”

Gibault was outscored 16-4 in the third quarter of the title game.

Kameron Hanvey led the Hawks with 14 points and five assists, followed by Kaden Augustine with 11 points. 

Last Wednesday, Gibault advanced to the title game of the tourney with a 53-21 victory over New Athens. Augustine scored 17 points and Jude Green added 12 points.

“Jude Green had a very good tournament,” Rueter said. “Kaden Augustine had some good games and Kameron Hanvey was very good in the championship game.”

Both Green and Augustine were named to the all-tourney team. 

“Hopefully (the tourney) was a learning experience,” added Rueter, who recently picked up his 750th career victory as head coach of the Hawks. 

Augustine is averaging 14.6 points per game to lead Gibault this season. Hanvey is averaging 10 points and more than two steals per contest.

The Hawks battled Wesclin on Tuesday at the Okawville Invitational Tournament, winning 38-36. Augustine led the way again with 11 points. Gibault takes on Monroe County rival Columbia in the tourney on Friday night.

Waterloo (11-7) won two of three recent games as it prepares for the Sparta Mid-Winter Classic this week.

Last Wednesday, the Bulldogs won 45-42 at Steeleville. Ian Schrader scored 14 points and Logan Calvert added 11 points for Waterloo.

On Friday, Waterloo picked up a 60-53 conference victory at Triad. Ty Lenhardt led the way for the ‘Dogs with 24 points. Alex Stell added 14 points and 11 rebounds. 

The Bulldogs hosted a tough Carterville squad Saturday night, falling 62-59 in double overtime. 

Calvert led the way on this night with 16 points and seven rebounds. Schrader also scored 16 points. Stell added 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Lenhardt scored 12 points.

Lenhardt, a senior, leads the Bulldogs in scoring this season at 16.6 points per game – including 41 percent shooting from three-point range.

Calvert is averaging 12 points and six rebounds per game.

Waterloo battles Red Bud on Wednesday, Murphysboro on Thursday and Trico on Friday in the Sparta tourney, with play ending Saturday. 

Columbia (14-6) won 65-37 over Wood River on Friday. Dylan Murphy scored 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Eagles. Jack Steckler added 13 points and four steals and Glenn Powers added 11 points and four steals.

Last Tuesday, the Eagles lost 53-51 in overtime to Metro East Lutheran. The teams were tied 20-20 at halftime and 44-44 after four quarters. 

Sam Donald was the high-point man for Columbia in this game, scoring 20 points and recording seven rebounds. Murphy added 19 points, including 5-for-7 shooting from three-point range. 

Murphy is averaging nearly 16 points per game this season. Donald is averaging 11.4 points per contest.

Columbia played Tuesday at Okawville, taking down the tourney host 59-29. Murphy again led the way with 17 points. The win marked Columbia head coach Mark Sandstrom’s 350th career victory.

Columbia will travel to Waterloo this coming Tuesday night for a cross-county rivalry showdown. 

Valmeyer (2-16) won one of three games at the Chester tourney. 

The Pirates opened play in Chester last Tuesday with a 67-29 loss to Saxony Lutheran. Vincent Oggero scored 16 points for Valmeyer, including 4-for-8 shooting from three-point range.

On Thursday, the Pirates lost to Lovejoy, 69-52. Valmeyer trailed 22-7 after the first quarter. Aiden Crossin led the way with 15 points, followed by Elijah Miller with 10 points. 

Valmeyer closed out the tourney with a 59-37 win over Perryville on Saturday. Oggero turned in another strong effort with 21 points, including five three-pointers. Jordan McSchooler added 14 points and 11 rebounds.

McSchooler, Oggero and Harry Miller are all averaging about nine points per game this season for the Pirates, who play Friday at New Athens.

Dupo (3-11) lost 49-25 at Marissa on Friday. The Tigers trailed 15-5 after the first quarter. 

Nate Ticer scored 12 points (3-for-3 on three-pointers) to lead Dupo. 

“Due to unfortunate circumstances, all high school boys basketball games and practices have been canceled this week,” Dupo Jr./Sr. Athletics posted Tuesday on its Facebook page. “They will resume play on Jan. 22.”Attachments area