Collinsville, Ill. – The Collinsville High School boys’ basketball season is following a familiar script this year.

Image by Roger Starkey

The 2013-2014 version of the Kahoks opened the season with three straight wins before losing seven straight. This year’s team opened the season with three straight wins, and has now lost six consecutive contests.

The host Kahoks (3-6, 0-4 Southwestern Conference) outscored Alton (8-1, 3-1 SWC) by five in the second half Friday at Fletcher Gym, but could not overcome a double-digit halftime deficit. The 61-53 loss was the eighth in Collinsville’s last 10 league games.

Center Emondre Rickman paced Collinsville with 18 points, a season high for the Kahok big man. Rickman shot 9-11 from the floor and grabbed six rebounds, which tied Sean Davis for team-high honors.

Senior Anfirnee Wilkinson scored 13, his third consecutive game in double digits. Harrison Wethers and Ronnie Midgett scored seven each. Nic Gonet and Sean Davis added four points apiece for CHS.

The Kahoks shot 50 percent from the floor and 11-13 from the free throw line, but could not find the mark from long distance, shooting only 2-14 from beyond the arc.  Collinsville is shooting 30 percent on the season from 3-point range.

Bryan Hudson, a 6-foot-7 lefthander who recently signed a national letter of intent to join former Kahok pitcher Tanner Houck on the Mizzou pitching staff, led the Redbirds with 19 points. Maurice Edwards (12) and Carlos Anderson (11) also reached double figures for Alton.

The Kahoks return to action in the Collinsville Schnucks Holiday Classic, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27. Hazelwood East (2-3) will be the Kahoks’ first opponent in the 31st version of the Collinsville tradition.