The Columbia-Freeburg Holiday Tournament is underway this week at Columbia High School, offering boys basketball action for fans to feast on before year’s end.

The host Eagles were enjoying home cooking in the early going, winning twice on Monday in dominant fashion. 

Columbia (10-3) won 69-38 over Piasa Southwestern to open tourney play. The Eagles led 43-21 at halftime and never really broke a sweat. 

Dylan Murphy scored 17 points to lead the Eagles – including 3-for-6 from three-point range. 

Columbia pulled down 32 rebounds as a team and committed just five turnovers.

Monday evening, the Eagles blasted Civic Memorial, 73-33. Columbia led 48-20 at halftime. 

Murphy again led the way with 20 points. Glenn Powers added 14 points and four steals for the Eagles, who battled Freeburg on Tuesday night and won 55-39 to face Marquette in  Wednesday’s final.

Murphy, a 6-foot-5 junior, leads Columbia in scoring this season at 15.7 points per game – including 33 percent from three-point range.

Waterloo (7-5) had a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” kind of Monday. 

The Bulldogs opened its tourney slate with a 44-24 loss to Marquette early in the afternoon. Marquette’s slow pace controlled the tempo.  

Logan Calvert led Waterloo with 12 points, as the Bulldogs shot just 4-of-13 from the free-throw line.

On Monday night, Waterloo took down cross-town rival Gibault to avenge an earlier loss this season. 

The Bulldogs won 64-54. Ty Lenhardt scored 26 points to lead Waterloo. Calvert added 14 points. 

The contest was tied at 15-15 with one minute left in the first quarter.

A three-pointer by Lenhardt put the ‘Dogs up 28-19 with just under three minutes remaining before halftime. Waterloo led 30-22 at the half.

Another big bucket by Lenhardt came as he was fouled at the end of the third quarter, giving Waterloo a 43-32 lead entering the final frame.

Gibault made a late surge courtesy of Kaden Augustine. His steal and lay-up while fouled, plus free throw, cut Waterloo’s lead to 53-45 with 3:15 left in the contest.

Waterloo was able to make key free throws late to hold on. 

Augustine led the Hawks with 17 points. Kameron Hanvey added 12 points.

The Bulldogs faced Valmeyer on Tuesday, winning 69-37. Lenhardt scored his 1,000th career point for Waterloo during the victory.  Calvert scored 20 points

Lenhardt, a 6-foot-3 junior, leads Waterloo in scoring this season at 16.7 points per game – including 58 percent from three-point range and 82 percent from the free throw line.

Gibault (7-5) won its first round game of the tourney on Monday by forfeit, as Valmeyer was forced to cancel due to a COVID situation. 

The Hawks battled Marquette on Tuesday, falling 35-21.

Augustine, a 6-foot-tall junior, leads the Hawks in scoring this season at 14.4 points per game.

Valmeyer (0-12) opened tourney play Tuesday following Monday’s absence with a 63-36 loss to Marquette.

The tourney concludes Wednesday, with games starting at 2 p.m. and the championship game expected to tip off about 6 p.m.