4 observations from opening day of 50th Visitation Christmas Tournament

Here are some observations from one of the area's premier girls basketball tournaments:

Don't forget those Tigers

Edwardsville junior guard Lainey McFarlin has something to say.

"We're better than people think," the 5-foot-7 winger said. "But the only way to show it is to keep winning."

The Tigers did just that Saturday night.

McFarlin scored a team-high 15 points and senior Alandyn Simmons added 13 to pace Edwardsville to a 46-39 win over previously unbeaten Cor Jesu in opening round play from the weeklong affair.

Edwardsville (5-2) has flown under the radar after losing back-to-back games to Southwestern Conference rivals O'Fallon and Alton earlier this month.

Simmons and McFarlin came out on fire to guide their team to a 12-0 lead in the first 3 minutes and 54 seconds.

Cor Jesu (7-1) made a couple of runs but could never get closer than to within one point.

"Our goal was to come out hard and fast," Simmons said.

Mission accomplished.

The Tigers began the second half with a similar flurry, scoring the seven points to take a 30-22 advantage.

McFarlin triggered the early outburst with seven points in the opening quarter. She added a key 3-pointer in the final period.

"Lainey's been big for us all year long," Edwardsville coach Bryan Young said. "She's hit some tough shots."

Lauren Ortwerth led the Chargers with 12 points. Cor Jesu finished fourth in the state in Class 6 last season.

Mama Mia

Eureka junior winger Mia Cuneio has the magic touch.

At least when it comes to beating Ursuline Academy.

Cuneio hit a buzzer-beating shot in a 44-43 win over Ursuline on Tuesday.

The teams met four days later in the opening round of the Visitation Tournament on Saturday afternoon.

Although not as dramatic, Cuneio canned a 3-pointer in the fourth period that helped the Wildcats claim a 50-49 triumph in the rematch.

Eureka (4-3) has won three in a row despite the loss of six seniors from last year's 19-9 squadron. Returnees Cuneio and junior Marleigh Allen have helped pick up the slack.

"Losing those seniors was a big change," Cuneio said. "We aren't the same team, but we'll get better."

Explained Allen, "The more we win the more confidence we get."

Allen added nine points to Saturday's win, all in the second half.

The tightly played contest was the best game of the eight first-round contests.

Ursuline (5-3), which rallied from 11 points down in the third quarter, had a chance to win in the final seconds but missed a pair of shots as time wound down.

The Bears won their first five games before losing three in a row by a combined four points.

"It's been crazy, maybe luck just isn't on our side," Ursuline coach Jeff Stevens said. "Maybe we're just saving it for later in the year."

Time ticking away

The Visitation Tournament is using an experimental 35-second shot clock for the first time.

So far, the coaches seem pleased with the new winkle. MSHSAA is allowing schools to use the clock in tournament play to gauge reactions.

"I think it helps more on defense," Troy coach Ryan Meyers said. "You can get settled a little more."

There were only two shot clock violations through the first six games Saturday.

Pattonville committed the first miscue on the opening possession in the first game of a week-long affair.

"There's just a much better flow to the game," Visitation athletics director and tournament chairman Paul Stoecklin said.

Stoecklin says it takes around $5,000 to get the clocks above the basket at each end.

The shot clock came into play late in Eureka's 50-49 win over Ursuline. Eureka had the ball and a one-point lead with 44 seconds left and could not hold onto the ball until the end.

"It certainly makes for exciting games," Eureka coach C.J. Herbert said.

Troy used a shot clock in its season-opening tournament. Meyers said his team has played five games with the clock and has only committed one violation.

More is Moore

Troy sophomore Ellie Moore has taken on more responsibility this season.

With positive results.

The 6-foot post player scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead the Trojans (6-1) to a 63-42 win over Tolton in a first-round game.

Moore is averaging 13.5 points this season, above her average of 8.9 as a freshman.

Most importantly, she is averaging almost nine rebounds per game after just three last season.

"In practice I've been focusing on rebounding," Moore said. "I want to do more than I did last season."

Moore sharpens her toughness in driveway battles with her mother Amy, a former player at McKendree University.

"She tries to box me out sometimes, but it doesn't work," Ellie said.

Mom, who went by Amy May in her playing days, disagrees, "She's got a ways to go to get by me."

Meyers likes the improvement he's seen from Moore so far this season.

"Super proud of watching the way she has grown," Meyers said. "She's got a skill set that's hard to match. It's great to see her become the player that she is and she's only going to get better."