It took 15 games, but the Valmeyer High School boys basketball team removed itself from the ranks of the winless on Friday. 

The Pirates downed Lebanon at home, 36-27. Valmeyer led 13-4 after the first quarter and didn’t let up. 

Vincent Oggero led the Pirates with 13 points – including 3-for-6 shooting from three-point range. He’s shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc this season. 

The Pirates shot 42 percent from the floor in the win.

Valmeyer (1-15) is competing this week in the Chester Invitational Tournament, and opened Tuesday against Saxony Lutheran. The Pirates lost the game 67-29. Oggero again led the way with 16 points, including 4-for-8 shooting from three-point range.

The Pirates play again Thursday night in Chester. The tourney title game is 7 p.m. Saturday. 

Other teams in the Chester tourney include Gibault, Chester, New Athens, Perryville, Valle and Lovejoy.

Gibault (12-5) opened Chester tourney play with a convincing 76-28 victory over Perryville on Monday. Kaden Augustine scored 19 points and Jude Green contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The next tourney opponent was New Athens on Wednesday. The Hawks won easily, 53-21. Gibault led 15-5 after the first quarter and went on a 23-4 run in the third quarter. Augustine scored 17 points, including 3-for-3 shooting from three-point range. Green added 12 points.

On Saturday, Gibault won 52-35 at Civic Memorial. Augustine and Kameron Hanvey each scored 16 points to lead the Hawks, who shot 43 percent from the floor. 

Last Tuesday, Gibault won 43-32 over Wesclin. The Hawks won the rebound battle, 27-15, over the Warriors. 

Augustine scored 18 points and Hanvey added 11 points for Gibault. 

For the season, Augustine is averaging 14.5 points per game. Hanvey averages 10.6 points and more than two steals per contest. Both are juniors.

Columbia (12-6) has lost three of four recent games. 

Last Tuesday, the Eagles soared to a 58-43 win over Highland. Columbia trailed 14-10 after the first quarter, but went on a 14-3 run in the second quarter to take command.

Dylan Murphy poured in 23 points to lead Columbia, followed by Sam Donald with 16 points and eight rebounds. 

On Friday, Columbia dropped a 59-50 contest in overtime at home against Freeburg. Donald, a freshman, led the way with 19 points and six rebounds. Dominic Voegele added 12 points and five steals. 

On Saturday, Columbia competed well on the road against a tough Centralia squad, falling 45-38. Donald scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds before fouling out. Glenn Powers added 10 points and four assists.

The Eagles played Tuesday at Metro East Lutheran, falling 53-51 in overtime. Donald scored 20 points and Murphy scored 19 points, including five three-pointers.

Columbia plays this Friday at Wood River. 

Murphy is averaging nearly 16 points per game this season. 

Waterloo (10-6) split a pair of recent contests.

On Friday, Waterloo won a Battle of the Bulldogs against Highland, 56-40. Ty Lenhardt led Waterloo with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Logan Calvert added 14 points. 

On Saturday, Waterloo lost 70-41 to Mt. Vernon. 

On Wednesday, the Bulldogs picked up a hard-fought road win at Steeleville, 45-42. Ian Schrader led Waterloo with 13 points.

Waterloo plays Friday at Triad and Saturday at home against Carterville before competing in the annual Sparta Mid-Winter Classic. 

The Bulldogs open tourney play next Wednesday against Red Bud, who is coached by ex-Waterloo head coach Dane Walter.

Waterloo will then take on Murphysboro at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 20 and Trico at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 21, with consolation through championship games taking place Jan. 22.

Dupo (3-10) lost 59-27 at Roxana on Thursday. 

The Tigers hosted Carlyle on Tuesday and play Friday at Marissa. 

Chase Mantz leads Dupo in scoring this season at 12 points per game.