BELLEVILLE — In a matchup marked by the absence of key players, Edwardsville defeated Belleville Althoff 77-56 in a high school basketball game on Saturday night. Both teams were without significant contributors, with Edwardsville missing Iose Epenesa due to a prior football commitment and Althoff lacking Dierre Hill Jr.
Edwardsville established an early lead, finishing the first quarter with a 17-11 advantage. The team maintained its momentum, heading into halftime with a 34-26 lead.
In the third quarter, Edwardsville extended its lead to 48-37 and capped off the game by outscoring Althoff 29-19 in the final period.
“Herb at point guard has had a huge season, and Althoff is a good team, so the point guard is valuable,” Edwardsville coach Dustin Battas said. “He was able to get our other guys good looks, and Bryce Prior had a huge night.”
Herb Martin led Edwardsville with 28 points, supported by Miccah Butler with 18 points and Bryce Pryor, who added 15 points.
On the Althoff side, Bryden Gryzmala was the standout performer with 22 points, while Zach Winkeler contributed 16 points.
