MASCOUTAH - The Taylorville Tournament treated the Civic Memorial girls basketball team well.
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The Eagles won the season-opening tournament for the fifth time in six seasons, winning by an average margin of 30 points. Their biggest win was 66-11 over Jacksonville before beating Taylorville 54-37 in the final.
"We were happy, a couple of wins up there were really nice," CM head coach Mike Arbuthnot said. "We want up there and shot the ball really well."
It was much of the same on Monday when CM opened up Mississippi Valley Conference play on the road at Mascoutah.
After the game was briefly tied at 2-2, CM quickly went on a 15-0 run thanks to back-to-back three-pointers from junior guard Reegan Twente and led 17-10 after one.
After being up by 15 points, the Eagles watched that lead shrink down to just four points early on in the second but would pull far ahead again after some more three-point shooting.
Twente knocked down another three followed by back-to-back makes from sophomore guard Marley Ogden and just like that the Eagles led by 15 again at 30-15.
"[Mascoutah] climbed back in and I have to give them credit," Arbuthnot said. "Some of it had to do with us fouling and them getting a lot of points from free throws, but we responded."
The Indians went a combined 13 of 16 from the free-throw line, but that was no match for CM's three-point shooting.
Sophomore guard Marlee Durbin and Ogden would strike from distance as CM led 40-18 at the halftime break.
The Eagles led 56-23 after three en route to the 62-30 final and improved to 6-0 on the season.
It was a nice night for CM from three-point land sinking nine threes. Twente and Ogden each made three.
"We've got some kids that can shoot it," Arbuthnot said. "So, we try to get them the ball in space so that they're able to get good shots."
Twente finished with a team-high 16 points while senior guard Avari Combes and Durbin each scored 10. Junior guard Avery Huddleston and Ogden each scored nine points while sophomore guard Isabelle Edwards added six.
"We do such a good job of sharing the basketball," Arbuthnot said.
Getting off on the right foot in the MVC was crucial for the Eagles.
"We really stress these Valley road wins, those are big," Arbuthnot said. "Four out of our first five are on the road and every one's important."
The Eagles will head to Jerseyville on Friday with other road MVC games against Triad and Waterloo looming in the upcoming weeks.
CM will take on East St. Louis in its home opener on Monday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
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