EDWARDSVILLE – Freshman point guard Christian Jones had a big game for Granite City on Friday night, as he scored 18 points in helping the Warriors defeat the Tigers at Lucco-Jackson Gym 50-47. It was the first time Granite had defeated Edwardsville since December 2002.
“It was a big game for us,” Jones said in a postgame interview. “We hadn’t beat them in a long, long time. Coach (Gerard Moore) has been wanting to beat them so bad. And we came on strong in the game.”
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It was a classic nip-and-tuck battle throughout the game, and Jones and his teammates were feeling great after the game.
“Oh, it’s a great feeling, awesome feeling,” Jones said.
Jones hit many key shots during the game, especially late.
“My teammates were looking for me,” Jones said, “and I was knocking down shots. They were getting the rebounds for me, and I was just pushing the ball.”
The Warriors went to 6-2 with the win, and host Carbondale next Friday in their final game before going into the Prairie Farms Collinsville Holiday Classic, starting Dec. 27 with a late-night special against Belleville East that tips off at 9:30 p.m. Jones is liking his team’s chances for success with a simple answer.
“Yes, sir,” Jones said with a smile.
The Warriors are enjoying a successful season thus far, and Jones said the ability to bounce back after the losses have been key.
“We’re doing pretty good,” Jones said. “We lost two games, but we bounced back.”
It was the second straight close win for Granite, who defeated McCluer High of Ferguson, Mo., earlier this week in overtime. Jones agreed it was a very good feeling, and he also has big expectations for the Collinsville tournament.
“We want to win,” Jones simply said.
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