Caldwell leads way for Redbirds in win over Granite, early games

EDWARDSVILLE – Alton's Kevin Caldwell had a game-high 17 points Saturday afternoon as his Redbirds defeated Granite City 85-44 in the opening game of the SWC @ the E Southwestern Conference basketball showcase event at SIU-Edwardsville's Vadalebene Center.

“I felt pretty good,” Caldwell, a senior, said. “My teammates did a good job of finding me when I was hot and on all my spots; I appreciate that.”

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Shooting in a building like the Vadalebene Center is a bit different than shooting in a building like the Redbird Nest at AHS; the backgrounds are different, among other things. “I like it a lot,” Caldwell said of the experience of shooting at Vadalebene Center. “It's way different from our rims, the court's a little bigger, but that worked in our favor; I was just taking advantage of that.”

Caldwell fouled out of the game near the finish; when asked what he needs to do to cut down on fouling, Caldwell said “just be smart, not use my hands so much and move my feet – I'll be fine.”

That the win came at a venue like the Vadalebene Center mean much to Caldwell. “We played well,” Caldwell said. “I'm pretty confident with the team, where we're at; we'll have another good week of practice and get ready for another big game next week against East Side.”

The Redbirds will take on East St. Louis at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Nest before hosting Collinsville at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15.

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