Collinsville drained five 3-pointers in the first quarter of their season opener Monday night and cruised to an 82-46 victory over Salem at the Pyramid Plus Tournament in Herrin.
Image by Roger Starkey
The Kahoks came into the season with a big question mark hanging over their inexperienced backcourt, but three of the five double-digit scorers were guards. The Wildcats focused their defensive attention on the Collinsville big men, which opened things up for the guards, Head Coach Darin Lee said.
Junior guard Anfirnee Wilkinson picked up where his older brother left off last season. Falando Wilkinson, a 2013 CHS graduate, led the Kahoks last season with more than 17 points per game, Anfirnee put up 16 Monday to lead the Kahoks.
“We got a few run outs off the break, got a few layups, and he was the recipient of those,” Lee said. “He also finished well and made a few shots.”
Wilkinson’s 3-pointer on the first shot of the game set the tone. Senior guard Jacob Shaffer followed Wilkinson’s lead, draining a pair of 3-pointers to help lead the Kahoks to a 26-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. Shaffer was Collinsville’s second-leading scorer, with 13.
Despite the 36-point margin of victory and holding Salem to 46 points, Lee said the Kahoks’ defense was shaky.
“They (Salem) probably struggled more against the zone in the second,” Lee said. “We’re not a great man-to-man team yet.”
Lee prefers to play man-to-man defense, but has said he may utilize the zone more to take advantage of the Kahoks’ size. Junior center Emondre Rickman is 6-foot 8-inches and junior center Sean Davis is 6-foot 7-inches. Davis scored 11 points against the Wildcats, Rickman had seven.
Junior guard Brett Langley (11) and junior forward Harrison Wethers (10) rounded out Collinsville’s double-digit scorers. Lee rotated nine players regularly during the game found time for all 11 players on the roster, 10 of whom scored at least two points. Senior guard Jacob Moore (7), junior guard Nic Gonet (3), junior guard Jamal Wellmaker (2) and senior forward Matt Chambers (2) also scored.
The victory will give the young CHS team confidence, Lee said. That confidence will be tested as the team plays four games in the next five nights.
Next up for Collinsville in the tournament is a 7 p.m. game against Soldan, Tuesday. Lee expects the Tigers to press, something Salem did not do. “We’ll have to keep our turnovers down, that will be key,” Lee said.
