With regional play right around the corner, local high school boys basketball teams are aiming to close out the regular season strong.

Waterloo (21-9) hosted cross-town rival Gibault (8-21) on Monday in a game that was moved up a night due to snowy weather forecasted for Tuesday. 

The Bulldogs downed the Hawks by the score of 66-45. During the game, Waterloo’s 6-foot-10 senior Alex Stell, who had 28 points and 14 rebounds in the win, was recognized for topping the 1,500-point plateau in his career. 

Stell has scored 1,710 career points at WHS, which ranks him second all-time behind only 1981 graduate Mike Roy’s total of 1,852.

Stell, who has committed to playing at University of Illinois-Springfield upon his graduation, is also Waterloo’s all-time career rebounding leader at 1,182.

He’s averaging 20.7 points, 13.4 rebounds and three blocks per game this season. 

On Friday, Waterloo picked up a 66-38 win at home over Jerseyville. Stell led the way with 16 points and 21 rebounds.  Max Oswald, a 6-foot-5 senior, added 14 points. Another senior, Griffin Stork, scored 12 points.

Friday’s win gave Waterloo its first 20-win season since 2006.

Last Tuesday, the Bulldogs dropped a 58-47 contest to Edwardsville. Tyler DeVilder led Waterloo with 14 points on the night. 

Waterloo hosts Highland in a key Mississippi Valley Conference game this Friday night. 

Waterloo hosts a Class 3A regional and will face MVC foe Mascoutah next Wednesday night.

Columbia (23-6) split four recent games as it eyes what looks to be a tough regional. 

The Eagles won 68-38 on Monday over Freeburg in a game moved up from Tuesday. Eddie Smajic made five three-pointers en route to a 22-point night for Columbia. Sam Donald added 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Brody Landgraf poured in 13 points. 

On Saturday, Columbia faced a tough Rolla team at the Principia Shootout, falling 60-43. Landgraf led the way with 16 points, followed by Donald with 13 points.

On Friday, the Eagles celebrated senior night in style with a 66-29 home victory over Roxana. Longtime team manager Grant Reuss donned a uniform and scored two points to the delight of the Eagles faithful. 

Smajic scored 15 points, followed by Donald’s 13 points and 10 more from senior Brady Hemminghaus.

Last Tuesday, Columbia lost 62-53 to Breese Central in a Cahokia Conference showdown. Donald poured in 30 points, but it was just not enough.

Columbia led by one point after three quarters, but Breese Central outscored the Eagles 25-15 in the final frame. 

Weather permitting, Columbia is set to face Mounds Meridian on Wednesday in Pinckneyville. Columbia hosts Rochester at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. 

The Eagles will play in the Class 2A Carlyle Regional, facing either Wesclin or Carlyle next Wednesday. Also in this regional are Breese Central, Mater Dei and Nashville.

Donald, a 6-foot-8 senior who has committed to play next season at Bellarmine University, leads the Eagles at 16.4 points per game. He’s also averaging seven rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest.

Donald is the career all-time rebounding leader at CHS at 901. Donald’s 1,886 career points rank him fourth all-time at CHS. The career scoring leader for the Eagles is 1997 graduate Shawn Patton with 2,180 points. Shawn’s twin brother Ryan Patton also topped 2,000 career points.

Smajic is averaging 14 points per game – including 44 percent shooting from three-point range.

Prior to Monday’s loss at Waterloo, Gibault dropped a 63-48 contest Saturday at Wesclin. Ryan Biffar led the Hawks with 14 points.

On Friday, it was a 43-35 loss for Gibault against Granite City. Peyton Schaefer led the Hawks with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Biffar added 13 points for the Hawks, who shot just 8-for-18 from the free-throw line on the night.

Last Tuesday, Gibault lost 49-36 to Chester. 

Gibault hosts Marquette on Thursday before entering the Class 1A Marissa Regional against Marissa this coming Monday night.

Biffar is the leading scorer this season for the Hawks at 12.1 points per game. He’s shooting 81 percent from the free-throw line. Jack Holston is averaging 10 points per game. He’s shooting 93 percent from the free-throw line. 

Also playing in the Class 1A Marissa Regional is Valmeyer (13-15). 

The Pirates will play at New Athens on Monday to begin regional play. 

Valmeyer lost 66-51 to Steeleville on Monday. 

On Friday, the Pirates picked up a 42-29 over Dupo as Aiden Crossin scored 22 points.

On Thursday, Valmeyer won 40-26 over O’Fallon First Baptist. Crossin again led the way with 16 points. 

Last Tuesday, the Pirates won 67-30 at Lebanon. Crossin and Landon Roy, both seniors, each scored 19 points. Chase Snyder added 11 points. 

Valmeyer plays Thursday at Maryville Christian, then closes out the regular season Friday at home against Lebanon. 

Crossin leads the Pirates in scoring this season at 15.6 points per  game and is also averaging 2.33 steals.

Roy is averaging 13.1 points and 3.7 assists per game.

In Dupo’s loss to Valmeyer on Friday, Kaden Scheppelman led the Tigers with 11 points. 

Dupo (2-18) also lost last Tuesday to Medicine & Bioscience, 57-44. 

The Tigers play Thursday at Wood River to conclude the regular season, then open Class 1A Greenfield Regional play Monday night at Carrollton.