GODFREY — For the fifth straight year, the Alton Redbirds started their season with a victory.
Now, they’re hoping to finish with another strong season under head coach Eric Smith.
The Redbirds opened their season on Wednesday with a 67-54 win over the Riverview Gardens Rams in a Tip-Off Classic game at Alton High. Alton improved to 1-0 and will play Carnahan at 7:30 p.m. Friday and St. Mary’s at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
“Our kids came in very focused,” Smith said. “It’s kind of an exciting time. Alton cares about its basketball. They support us.”
The Redbirds defeated Northwest Academy in their season opener in each of the last four years. Riverview Gardens handed Alton its last season-opening loss in 2011.
On Wednesday, the Redbirds had 10 players score against the Rams, six of them are back from last year’s team that finished 16-11 and won a regional championship.
Senior Maurice Edwards, who was the Redbirds’ leading scorer at 16 points per game and earned all-Southwestern Conference honors a year ago, led the way with 27 points, which included a pair of 3-pointers.
Edwards scored 15 of his points in the first quarter. He scored the first points of the game with 7:42 left in the first quarter, when he grabbed a rebound off of an Alton missed shot and scored a basket while being fouled by Riverview Gardens’ Tavon Graham.
Edwards also recorded a couple of slam dunks. He got his first dunk with 32 seconds left in the second quarter and got another in the third.
Kevin Caldwell, Jr. and Morris Adams, both returning players, each scored nine points to compliment Edwards. Adams scored seven of his points in the first half and Caldwell, Jr. poured in seven in the
second.
The Redbirds scored 13 points off the bench. Damion Reid and Darrell Smith each had four points and Evan Meyer and Donovan Clay had two points apiece.
Sophomore Terrance Walker scored all six of his points in the second half.
Alton never trailed against the Rams. The Redbirds scored the first six points of the game and led 20-4 after the first quarter. They led 31-15 at halftime and 54-33 after the third quarter.
Riverview Gardens, which also finished 16-11 last year, was led by Tyrone Bell with 16 points and Davion Williford with 15.
Former Lewis and Clark Community College assistant coach Milton Stith is in his first season as the Rams’ head coach.
Riverview Gardens (0-1) plays St. Mary’s at 6 p.m. on Friday and Carnahan at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Last year, the Redbirds finished second with a 2-1 record in the Tip-Off Classic after losing to Jacksonville in the final game. Alton beat Northwest Academy and Chatham Glenwood in its first two games.
The Redbirds are looking to finish with their fourth straight winning season.
“We have three kids who have varsity experience and played quite a bit last year and they’re back,” said Smith, who is in his fifth season as Alton coach. “That’s one of the things that will help us out a little bit. We’ll have to see. We’ve got a lot of kids with the needs of experience. We’ve got some kids who are young and we’ve got some kids who put in a lot of time and effort in and waiting for their opportunity.”
St. Mary’s defeated Carnahan 70-43 on Wednesday in the first game of the four-team, round-robin tournament. The Dragons improved to 2-0 and Carnahan dropped to 0-2.
ALTON TIP-OFF CLASSIC
ALTON 67, RIVERVIEW GARDENS 54
Rams 4 11 18 19 — 54
Redbirds 20 11 23 13 — 67
RIVERVIEW GARDENS (0-1) — Emmitt Gordon 2, Torrez Jackson 1, Jonathan White 4, Ronnell Merrill 2, Deon Polk 1, Tyrone Bell 16, Tavon Graham 8, Davion Williford 15, Kevin Black 5.
ALTON (1-0) — Damion Reid 4, Ty’ohn Trimble 3, Darrell Smith 4, Terrance Walker 6, Donovan Clay 2, Malik Smith 1, Evan Meyer 2, Kevin Caldwell, Jr., 9, Morris Adams 9, Maurice Edwards 27.
