COLLINSVILLE - Bryce Spiller led Edwardsville with 18 points as he and Lucas Greer led a pair of second-half comebacks, but the Tigers lost to Decatur MacArthur 53-44 in the first round of the 37th Prairie Farms Collinsville Holiday Classic basketball tournament Monday morning at Vergil Fletcher Gym.
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The Generals led by as much as 15 in the second quarter, but Edwardsville managed a pair of comebacks that out the Tigers to within three with 2:16 left in regulation. MacArthur was able to hold off the rally to take the win.
"Our guys competed hard and gave ourselves a chance to win," said Edwardsville head coach Dustin Battas. "Down three and had a good look at a three from one of our best shooters. It rimmed out, and on the other end, the kid makes an NBA three. Sometimes, the room for error is small, but I thought our guys really battled much better in the third quarter. We talked about it at halftime, made some open shots to start the third, gave our guys some confidence, and just came a couple of baskets short.
That's a tough game, they're really good, they're really well-coached and they've got a chance to win the whole tournament and have a good season. We"re not down that we lost. We think we can play with anybody, and we don't say that arrogantly. We prepare, we try to practice hard every day. Our guys wanted to win that one. We've got a lot of respect for them, we think they're really good, but we competed hard and gave ourselves a chance."
The Generals move to a quarterfinal match against Madison, a 55-48 winner over Belleville East in the tournament opener, while the Tigers meet the Lancers in the consolation bracket in the Collinsville High School Auxiliary Gym. Both games will be played tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
