The Columbia High School girls basketball squad captured this year’s Candy Cane Classic trophy and will look to win another tournament in Waterloo this holiday weekend. 

The Eagles (7-5) downed Mehlville on Saturday, 51-35, to place first in the Candy Cane Classic played at Gibault. Columbia, led by tourney MVP Ava Mathews’ 16 points and seven rebounds, shot 51.4 percent from the floor. Kinley Jany added 11 points and 10 rebounds. Addison Dewilde made four three-pointers for 12 points.

Columbia advanced to the title game by virtue of a 47-42 win last Wednesday over Granite City. Mathews again led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Riley Bahr added 10 points for the Eagles, who shot 54.5 percent from the floor.

In a non-tourney game on Thursday, Columbia lost 69-22 to Breese Central. 

Up next for the Eagles is the Waterloo Holiday Tournament, with Columbia opening at 2 p.m. Friday against Cahokia. This tourney continues Saturday and Monday. 

Mathews is averaging nearly 14 points and seven rebounds per game this season. 

Gibault (7-6) opened its own tourney with a victory last Tuesday over Metro East Lutheran, 41-24, thanks to nine points, six rebounds, five assists, seven steals and six blocks from senior Karmon Grohmann. 

On Thursday, the Hawks lost 39-38 to Mehlville despite 10 points from Adeline Riebeling. 

That put Gibault in the third place game on Saturday against Granite City, which resulted in a 43-40 defeat for the Hawks. Grohmann scored 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and had six assists. Olivia Biffar added 12 points. 

Gibault opens the Waterloo tourney at 3:30 p.m. Friday against Marquette. 

Grohmann is averaging 17.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.1 steals and 3.3 blocks per game this season. 

Waterloo (5-7) will look to snap out of a losing funk as it hosts its holiday tourney this weekend. 

Last Tuesday, Waterloo lost 60-49 at Highland. Mallory Thompson led the team with 15 points.

The Bulldogs lost 59-52 at Mater Dei last Wednesday despite 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists and five steals from Aubrey Heck. 

On Friday, it was a 61-32 loss for the Bulldogs against Civic Memorial. Nichole Gum scored 13 points. 

Waterloo hosted Jerseyville on Monday, then will open tourney play at 6:30 p.m. Friday against Roxana. 

The Bulldogs have been playing without leading scorer Sam Juelfs of late. Thompson is averaging 10.3 points per game, with Gum and Heck both averaging 8.4 points per contest.

Dupo (2-7) lost last Tuesday to Steeleville, 47-28, despite four points and nine rebounds from Keara Prater.

On Thursday, Dupo lost 50-31 to New Athens.