TIP-OFF CLASSIC: Tribe Silences Carterville's Roar
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Despite the nagging effects of some lingering football injuries-and barely five days removed from the last gridiron game of a rugged 14-week campaign-Du Quoin High School's Basketball team opened its schedule with a lopsided victory Wednesday.
The host Indians smothered Carterville 58-35 to end session two of the 11th Annual Du Quoin Tip-Off Classic, moving into the first place tie with Benton as the event reaches weekend play.
Both the Indians and Rangers share the lead with 1-0 records.
Cairo and Waltonville (1-1) follow while Carterville (0-2) holds down the fifth and final spot.
Action resumes Friday night with Benton vs. Waltonville (6:30) and Du Quoin facing Cairo in the 8 p.m. nightcap.
Cairo began Wednesday's schedule with a comeback win over Waltonville, 81-70. The Pilots erased four, 11-point deficits in the game. The last two coming in the final quarter.
Working with just six short practice session under their belts, the Indians shook off some erratic play early to finish strong.
Falling behind 5-0 in the first 36 seconds, Du Quoin went ahead for good on the first of back-to-back hoops by Seth Flint at 11-9 and were never headed.
"We knew going in without much practice that this might be sloppy," Indians coach Mike Crews said. "And it was. But the plan coming in was to play a lot of people. We accomplished that and were able to come away with a good victory. I'm pleased."
Du Quoin sprang to life midway through the opening quarter with an 11-0 burst. Flint's two hoops were key, along with consecutive steals and layups for Marcus Clarry and Jamor Reed.
Matt Gossett, the Tribe's top returning point-maker, started the flurry with a knifing through the lane for an easy basket.
The Indians built a 15-9 as the quarter ended, despite early foul problems for Gossett and center Dalton Morgan.
Gossett and Morgan were each sent to the bench in the final three minutes of the frame and didn't return until the second half.
Du Quoin went ahead 30-18 at the break when A.J. Hill's leaner-in-the-lane just beat the buzzer.
"The foul trouble forced us into changing some things around a little early," Crews admitted. "But everyone contributed in one phase of the game or the other and that helped us get through."
Du Quoin pulled away in the second half, limiting Carterville to just four field goals until less than a minute remained. The Indians doubled the score (48-24) when impressive sophomore J.C. Davis cashed in from three-point line.
Clarry topped the Indians with 10 points and was the lone double-digit scorer on either squad. Davis had eight points and four assists.
David Rose added plenty of energy off the bench, scoring seven points and grabbing four rebounds.
Reed (three steals), Morgan and Hill all had six points with Logan Schneider netting five.
Flint had a team-high seven rebounds.
All totalled, the Indians forced 27 Carterville turnovers.
"We've got to be pretty pleased with this one," Crews said. "Its an old cliche, but we found out pretty quickly the things we need to improve on."
PILOTS FLY HIGH
Cairo (1-1) erased a double-digit Waltonville lead in the final quarter to even its Tip-Off record.
Derrick Thomas and Hershel Graham each scored 15 points for Cairo, which won despite game-long foul trouble for 6'7 center Arthur Williams.
Marqius Lemmon (11) and Williams (10) provided solid scoring compliments for Thomas and Graham.
Waltonville had game-high 19-point efforts from Joseph Lewis and Skyler Witges, with Devan Lamke adding nine.
The Spartans were ahead 41-30 at halftime and 61-50 early in the last quarter before the Pilots took flight.
Waltonville outshot Cairo from the foul stripe, 37-18, but still fell to 1-1.
Du Quoin Tip-Off Classic
Wednesday's games
Du Quoin 58, Carterville 35
Du QUOIN (58)
Flint 2 0-0 4, Youngman 1 0-0 2, Davis 3 0-0 8, Hill 2 2-6 6, Clarry 5 0-1 10, Reed 3 0-0 6, Morgan 2 2-2 6, D. Rose 3 1-2 7, Schneider 2 1-2 5, Gossett 2 0-0 4, Tyner 0 0-1 0, C. Rose 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 25-46 (2-7) 6-14 58.
CARTERVILLE (35)
Rossi 2 1-1 5, Bonner 1 0-0 3, Martin 1 0-0 2, Bagwell 1 0-0 2, Drust 2 3-4 7, Bonifield 1 0-1 3, Dolce 2 0-1 4, Lingafelter 0 2-2 2, Lenzini 1 0-0 2, May 1 3-5 5. TOTAL 12-44 (2-8) 9-12 35.
Du Quoin 15 15 13 15-58
Carterville 9 9 6 11-35
THREE-POINTERS- Du Quoin 2 (Davis 2). Carterville 2 (Bonner, Bonifield). TEAM FOULS-Du Quoin 17, Carterville 18. REBOUNDS-Du Quoin 33 (Flint 8). ASSISTS-Du Quoin 9 (Davis 4). STEALS-Du Quoin 16 (Reed 3, Clarry 3, D. Rose 3). RECORDS-Du Quoin 1-0, Carterville 0-2.
Cairo 81, Waltonville 70
CAIRO (81)
Lemmon 5 0-0 11, Thomas 1 0-0 2, Williams 5 0-2 10, Johnson 3 0-0 6, Hill 2 0-0 4, Wright 4 2-4 10, Thomas 7 1-3 15, Stuckey 1 0-0 2, Graham 5 3-5 15, Woodson 2 2-4 6. TOTALS 36 8-18 81.
WALTONVILLE (70)
Lamke 4 0-0 9, Bassett 1 4-8 6, Wheatley 2 3-7 8, Witges 4 10-12 19, Stanhouse 3 2-4 8, Lewis 6 3-4 19, Ford 0 1-2 1. TOTALS 20 23-37 70.
Cairo 17 13 20 31-81
Waltonville14 27 14 15-70
THREE-POINTERS-Cairo 1 (Lemmon). Waltonville 7 (Lewis 4, Lamke, Wheatley, Witges). TEAM FOULS-Cairo 29, Waltonville 15. FOULED OUT-Johnson, Graham. RECORDS-Cairo 1-1, Waltonville 1-1.
Monday's games
Benton 69, Cairo 66
BENTON (69)
Smith 2 2-3 6, Meyers 8 9-10 26, Corn 5 1-3 15, Stevens 1 0-0 2, LaBuwi 8 2-3 18, Smith 0 2-2 2. TOTALS 24 16-21 69.
CAIRO (66)
Lemmon 4 1-2 9, D. Thomas 5 0-2 12, Williams 11 5-7 27, Johnson 1 0-0 2, Hill 1 0-0 2, Wright 3 0-0 6, B. Thomas 2 0-0 4, Stuckey 2 0-0 4. TOTALS 29 6-9 66.
Benton 21 15 14 19-69
Cairo 14 16 19 17-66
Three-Pointers: Benton 5 (Corn 4, Meyers). Cairo 2 (Thomas 2).
RECORDS-Benton 1-0.
Waltonville 53, Carterville 50
WALTONVILLE (53)
Lamke 1 0-2 3, Bassett 3 1-2 7, Wheatley 3 3-4 9, Witges 4 5-7 14, Stanhouse 1 0-0 2, Lewis 6 2-2 16, Ford 1 0-2 2. TOTALS 19 11-19 53.
CARTERVILLE (50)
Rossi 2 0-0 4, Bonner 2 0-0 6, Drust 4 7-9 15, Bonifield 2 0-0 5, Lingafelter 6 2-3 14, Lenzini 2 0-2 4, May 0 2-2 2. TOTALS 18 11-16 50.
Waltonville 11 15 13 14-53
Carterville 06 15 19 10-50
Three-pointers: Waltonville 4 (Lewis 2, Witges, Lamke). Carterville 3 (Bonner 2, Bonifield)
11th Du Quoin Tip-Off Classic
"The second decade begins"
All games in Anders Memorial Gym
Monday, Dec. 1
Benton 69, Cairo 66
Waltonville 53, Carterville 50
Wednesday, Dec. 3
Cairo 81, Waltonville 70
Du Quoin 58, Carterville 35
Friday, Dec. 5
Benton vs. Waltonville, 6:30
Du Quoin vs. Cairo, 8:00
Saturday, Dec. 6
Du Quoin vs. Benton, 12:30
Carterville vs. Cairo, 2:00
Benton vs. Carterville, 6:30
Du Quoin vs. Waltonville, 8:00
HONOR ROLL OF CHAMPIONS
1998-Du Quoin (5-0)
1999-Shawnee (5-0)
2000-Cairo (5-0)
2001-Cairo (5-0)
2002-Du Quoin (5-0)
2003-Cairo (5-0)
2004-Benton (5-0)
2005-Benton (4-0)
2006-Waltonville (4-0)
2007-Du Quoin (3-1)
SCORING LEADERS - 2 games
Arthur Williams, Cairo 37
Joseph Lewis, Waltonville 35
Skyler Witges, Waltonville 33
Derrick Thomas, Cairo 27
Trevor Meyers, Benton 26 (1 game)
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