Senior Malcolm Hill pumped in a season-high 39 points Friday as the Belleville East Lancers stayed on a roll with a convincing 69-46 victory over visiting Alton in a Southwestern Conference game.
East, which is seeded first in the prestigious Collinsville-Schnucks Holiday Tournament that begins Thursday, also go 12 points from junior Darreon Reddick and 10 points from junior Cameron Hunter.
The Lancers are 9-0 overall and 5-0 in the SWC. Alton, which has surprised many with its fast start, slipped to 5-4 and 3-2.
Sophomore Carlos Anderson led the Redbirds with 14 points. Seniors A'basa Brown and Larry Givens scored 11 apiece.
The Lancers led the Redbird 21-13 after one quarter and 33-23 at halftime before pulling away in the second half.
East will open the Collinsville tournament with a game against Riverview Gardens (1-6) at 9 a.m. Thursday. The Lancers will be shooting for their second championship in the last three years. Hill won the tourney's MVP award in East's 2010 title run.
Jerseyville 55, Highland 43
Jake Varble had 15 points and Kyle Obertino had 10 as the Jerseyville Panthers stunned Highland in a Mississippi Valley Conference victory over visiting Highland.
Kyle Steckel (nine) and Dylan Sharrow (eight) also played key roles for Jerseyville, which improved to 5-6 overall and 1-3 in the MVC.
Highland (9-2, 4-1), which scored just four points in the second half and trailed 30-19 at the intermission, was led by senior Mitch Carriger's 11 points.
Columbia 44, Carlyle 40
The host Eagles trailed Carlyle 28-24 after three quarters but outscored the Indiana 20-12 in the fourth quarter to gain an important Mississippi Conference win.
Michael Hunsaker led all scorers for Columbia with 17 points as the Eagles (6-3 overall, 4-0 in the league) solidified its hold on first place.
John Becker led Carlyle (6-2, 2-1) with 15 points.
Nashville 41, Pinckneyville 34
Chance Reuter had 16 points and Royce Newman scored 13 to lead the Hornets (7-2) to a big win at Pinckneyville.
Freeburg 57, Red Bud 37
Four players scored in double figures for the winning Midgets, let by Justin Diecker's 25 points.
Jacob Mueller had 12 points, Dalton Crunk scored 11 and Justin Livers also had 11 as Freeburg won for just the second time in nine games.
Josh Snyder had 16 points for Red Bud (1-8).
