Edwardsville basketball returned to the court for the Ladue tournament on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Tigers went 1-1 with a 53-35 win over Oakville and a 25-22 loss to the hosts Ladue.

“I think our team did well,” Edwardsville’s first year coach Dustin Battas said. “Ladue is one of the top teams in St. Louis. We just had some trouble making baskets.”

The Tigers, however, played excellent defense throughout the tournament, and sophomore Brennan Weller was a breakout performer for Edwardsville averaging seven points and 10 rebounds per game.

“I’ve always looked forward to starting a varsity game and doing it as a sophomore is a blessing,” Weller said. “I had to shake off a few jitters but I was more excited than anything.”

Seniors Jaylon Tuggle, Malik Robinson, Lavontas Hairston and Grant Schaefer also had solid performances in the two games.

“We have a lot of guys who don’t have a ton of experience but have been around the program for four years,” Battas said. “Those guys know what it takes to win.”

Battas added that playing in the tournament will set them up for success ahead.

“The tournament was very beneficial for us. We got to play two good teams, two teams who are going to win a lot of games,” Battas said. “And they also play different styles.”

The Tigers will be back in action at Belleville East on Tuesday, Dec. 4.

“If we limit our turnovers and play better transition defense we’ll be fine,” Tuggle said. “We just need to make shots.”