The Alton Redbirds dropped 11 3-pointers on the Kahoks Friday, including six in the third quarter, on their way to a 71-50 Southwestern Conference victory.
Image by Roger Starkey
Alton (4-0 SWC, 7-0) stayed undefeated on the season. Collinsville (0-4 SWC, 3-6) lost its sixth consecutive decision after starting the season 3-0.
Junior guard Brett Langley got Collinsville off to a strong start, scoring the team’s first seven points. The Kahoks trailed by only three after one quarter. Langley did not score again.
Alton junior guard Darrius Edwards took control of the game in the second quarter, scoring the Redbirds first 11 points of the period. CHS junior guard Anfirnee Wilkinson’s bucket early in the period was the only hiccup in Edwards’ streak. By the time another Redbird put the ball through the hoop, the team’s three-point lead had swelled to 12.
The Kahoks trailed by 11 at the half, but did not score a point for the first five minutes of the second half. Alton extended the lead to 42-23 before junior forward Harrison Wethers’ bucket broke the Kahoks’ drought.
The lead grew to an insurmountable 22 by the end of the third, thanks to five 3-pointers from Redbirds senior guard Michael Williams-Bey, who connected on 5-7 from beyond the arc in the quarter, including a buzzer beater. Alton hit six 3-pointers in the third, outscoring the Kahoks 23-10.
Collinsville Head Coach Darin Lee said the Redbirds took advantage of his team’s zone defense in the pivotal quarter. “They shot the heck out if it in the third quarter, there’s no doubt,” Lee said.
Williams-Bey led all scorers with 20 points. Edwards, with 19, was the only other Redbird to score in double figures. Wilkinson, Wethers and junior center Sean Davis each scored 10, to lead the Kahoks.
Scoring points continues to be a struggle for the Kahoks, Lee said. CHS scored 13 of its 50 points in the games’ final four minutes, after the Redbirds built a 26-point lead and their starters were watching the game from the bench. The Kahoks have not scored more than 60 points since the fourth game of the season and have averaged 42 points in their four SWC games.
The Kahoks did not start Emondre Rickman or Davis. One or both of the junior centers typically start. Lee declined to comment on the decision. Davis entered the game in the first quarter, but Rickman only played in the final few minutes of the third quarter.
Scoring for Collinsville were: Wethers-10, Wilkinson-10, Davis-10, Langley-7, Midgett-5, Rickman-4, Buehne-2, Moore-2
Collinsville returns to action at 6:30 Thursday against Urbana in the first round of the Schnucks Holiday Classic.
