Jalen Hall Leads With 16 Points, Evan Brewer Adds 12, To Push Warriors To 58-39 Win Over MELHS

Hall’s leadership key in Warriors’ recent success.

Colin Feeney, Contributing Sports Writer

Dec 5, 2025 9:42 AM Dec 5, 2025 10:50 AM

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The Warriors' Jalen Hall. GRANITE CITY - Jalen Hall led Granite City with 16 points, while Evan Brewer added 12 points to propel the Warriors to a 58-39 boys basketball win over Metro-East Lutheran Thursday night, Dec. 4, 2025, at Granite City Memorial Gym.

The Warriors used the run to overcome a sluggish first-half start to win, going into its game in the Norm Stewart Shootout Friday afternoon at Mizzou Arena in Columbia against Union, Mo. Granite has gotten off to a good start this season, and has played fairly well so far.

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"We've played fairly well," said Granite head coach Gerard Moore, "we're starting to gel. Last year was a tough year for us, because we were so young, and we've gotten better. The kids have worked harder this fall, and the summer to get better. They've worked on their decision making and shooting, so I have lot of confidence in us winning a few more games than we did last year."

The run in the third quarter was the deciding factor in the game, with Moore and his players making the needed adjustments at the half.

"We made some adjustments at the half," Moore said. "I felt like the guys were underestimating Metro-East. Coach (Anthony) Smith always does a great job in working out at Metro-East with what he's got. You've got to come out and be ready to play, because he's going to have his kids prepared, and ready to go. So, I felt like we were a little flat in the first half, we were too eager, and made some poor decisions, rushed some shots. But once we settled down, I though we were better."

The Knights are now 0-2, and Smith felt too many turnovers hurt his team.

"We had 27 turnovers," Smith said. "The better team won. We lose games in the last three minutes of the game. You've got to be good enough to play or not. And right now, we're just not playing good basketball. Granite is a good team, but are they 19 points better than us? I don't know. Coach Gerard did a great job, we lost. It's OK."

There's still plenty of time left, as the season is just underway, but Smith does feel his team has to be more consistent.

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"We've got to be consistent," Smith said. "We've got to stop turning the ball over, we have to be consistent, we have to be basketball players, and not people who like to play basketball. Right now, we're just not playing very good basketball as a team, and that doesn't work. Until that happens, we're going to struggle against teams, because everybody's got to be on the same page, and doing the same things. We're just a regular team. It's OK, we've just got to find our niche."

Brady Bishop scored the game's first two baskets to give the Knights an early 4-0 lead, but the Warriors came back to take a 5-4 lead on a three by Tyler Moore and a basket from Brewer. Later in the period, a Brewer free throw, and back-to-back baskets by Hall gave Granite a 14-9 lead after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, after a basket by Javier Cass, the Knights fought back to tie the game 16-16, on the strength of a free throw by Landyn Jefferson, and a pair of threes from Jayden Glasper. The teams traded the lead or a time before a 6-0 run by Granite, led by Hall, Xavier Harris, and Brewer gave the Warriors a 24-18 halftime lead.

The Warriors started their decisive run at the outset of the third quarter on a basket by Hall and a dunk by Antonio Dean to go ahead 28-20, then extended the lead on a Dean three and a basket by Cass to go ahead 33-20. Granite extended the lead by as much as 19 during the term but baskets by Ian Skelton and Kaleb Turney helped to cut the lead to 46-33 at the end of the third.

The final quarter started out with Metro-East cutting the lead to 46-35, but the Warriors stood their ground, and got key baskets and free throws throughout the quarter to come away with the 58-39 win over the Knights.

Hall led Granite with 16 points, while Brewer had 12 points, Cass scored 11 points, Moore had eight points, Dean scored seven points, Harris had six points, and Carter Williams had three points. Jefferson led the Knights with 11 points, while Andreas Menossi had nine points, Bishop scored eight points, Glasper hit for six points, Dominic Boyd, Turney, and Lucas Lorenz all had five points each, and Skelton had two points.

Metro-East is now 0-2, and starts its Gateway Metro Conference season Friday night at Father McGivney Catholic, then hosts Centralia Christ Our Rock Lutheran on Tuesday night, both games starting at 7:30 p.m., then hosts Carlinville Dec. 13 in a 12:30 p.m. start.

Granite City goes to 3-2, and plays Union, Mo., in the Norm Stewart Shootout at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Friday at 2 p.m.

Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.