East St Louis won their 3rd straight Salem Invitational Tournament as they knocked off Mt Vernon 59-41 in the championship Saturday night. Tournament MVP Macaleab Rich finished with 16 and Christian Jones added 15. Mt Vernon was led by NJ Benson with 16.
Salem dominated the 3rd place game over 5th ranked Madison 69-42. After not scoring in the opening quarter, Caden Bee poured in a game-high 28 the rest of the way. Rolan Adams finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds and Brendan Phillips also had 11.
Effingham won the consolation title over Champaign Central 48-41.
Along with Rich on the first team all-tournament, Salem put Bee and Adams on along with Effingham’s Garrett Wolfe, East’s Jones as well as Mt Vernon’s Benson. On the 2nd team was Deshaunsae King of Mt Vernon along with Collin McClure, Carbondale’s Jeremiah Tate, Chris Bush of Champaign Central, and Corliss Wilson of Madison.
Also, the 1972 Wildcats were honored before the championship game along with Bill Hawley for his 50th year of broadcasting the SIT on WJBD. Scott Steward was honored for his final SIT after he announced he would be retiring at the end of the year. He has led the tournament for the past 27 years and the Tournament MVP award will now bear his name.
In other boys high school basketball action:
Centralia 53, Cahokia 38
Breese Central 51, Nashville 40
North Clay 51, Flora 40
Benton Tournament:
Benton 43, Mounds Meridian 41
Hamilton County 63, Vandalia 45
Hamilton County 75, Mounds Meridian 52
Pinckneyville 34, Benton 28
Pinckneyville 52, Sesser-Valier 33
Sesser-Valier 45, Vandalia 40
Midland Trail Conference Tournament
Wayne City 66, Cisne 63, OT
Okawville Tournament=
Carlyle 55, Trenton Wesclin 34
Okawville 61, Roxana 47
