MASCOUTAH - Senior Isayah Kloster hit the game-clinching free throws in the final five seconds of regulation, then took away the ensuing inbounds pass to help give Edwardsville a 51-48 win over Mascoutah in a boys basketball game played Tuesday night at the Mascoutah gym.
The game was closely contested throughout, with the Tigers holding a 13-11 lead after the first quarter, then led at halftime 25-19. The Indians took their first lead in the third quarter, but Edwardsville, behind A.J. Tillman, Jonathan Stump and Kloster, went ahead after the third quarter 38-33 at three-quarter time.
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The Tigers added to the lead early in the fourth, then went into its delay game but Mascoutah went on a 13-4 run to bring the score to 49-46 in the final minute. A layup cut the lead to 49-48 after an Edwardsville turnover, but Kloster was able to hit the free throws, then made the big defensive play at the end to seal the 51-48 win.
Kloster was the leading score for the Tigers with 19 points, while Tillman and Kris Crosby both scored 10 points each and Malik Allen had nine points. Miles Niekop led the Indians with 12 points.
Mascoutah is now 20-8, while the Tigers won their fifth straight game and ninth in their last 10 games and are now 18-8. Edwardsville plays East St. Louis SIUE Charter Wednesday night in a varsity-only game at 6:30 p.m at Lucco-Jackson Gym, then goes to East St. Louis in their regular season road finale at Lindenwood University-Belleville at 7:30 p.m. The Tigers wind up the regular season at home next week, playing Collinsville on Feb. 14 and Belleville West on Feb. 17, with both games starting at 7:30 p.m.
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