The Waterloo High School boys basketball team won its first game against Monroe County rival Columbia in six years at the Sparta Mid-Winter Classic on Wednesday night, 57-45.

Ty Lenhardt led the Bulldogs with 26 points, including five three-pointers. The sophomore leads the team in scoring this season with an average of 10.4 points per game.

Waterloo went up 19-10 after the first quarter, but saw its lead cut to 42-40 entering the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs outscored the Eagles 15-5 in the final frame, however, to head home with a victory.

“We played really well as a team,” Waterloo head coach Dane Walter said. “We got good dribble penetration and inside-out shots. We shared the ball well offensively. I thought we did a nice job guarding in the half court setting. We limited their second chance opportunities.”

It was Waterloo’s first win over Columbia since Jan. 14, 2014 and snapped a 13-game losing streak to the Eagles.

Jonah James and Jacob O’Connor scored 11 points each for the Eagles, who shot just 6-for-25 from three-point range.

Waterloo (9-13) continued Sparta tourney play Thursday against Steeleville, winning 53-48. The Bulldogs led 22-18 at halftime, only to see Steeleville rally to tie it at 33-33 in the second half. Waterloo made key shots down the stretch to pull out the win.

Dustin Crawford led Waterloo with 19 points, followed by Ian Schrader with 14 points.

The Bulldogs have won six of their past nine games and conclude Sparta tourney play Saturday.

“We’ve been playing much better together and it’s showing with our recent success,” Walter said. “Our guys are seeing that. Hopefully we continue to grow and get better from here.”

Columbia (10-8) continued Sparta tourney play with a 53-42 loss Thursday against Murphysboro. The Eagles have dropped four straight. James and Nic Horner each scored 14 points for Columbia.

In other local hoops action from Wednesday, Gibault (3-15) lost 45-26 to Okawville at the Okawville Invitational Tournament. The Hawks actually led 9-8 after the first quarter, but the Rockets took charge from there.

Gavin Kohnz led Gibault with 12 points.