For the second time this season, the Warrenton boys basketball team will meet Fort Zumwalt East in a tournament.

The Warriors lost to the Lions, 38-36, in the consolation championship of the Winfield Tournament Dec. 5.

Tuesday at 8:30 p.m., the sixth-seeded Warriors (3-4) host the third-seeded Lions (4-4) in the opening round of the Warrenton Winter Classic.

“I was thinking we might get the No. 5 seed,” Warrenton Head Coach Mike Uffmann said. “But I certainly wasnt surprised with a six.”

Warrenton lost to No. 3 seed O’Fallon Christian, 46-38, in the opening round of the Winfield Tournament.

One week later, the Warriors beat Elsberry, the No. 7 seed, 50-48.

“The tournmanet should be wide open,” Uffmann said. “It should be competitive because there is not a weak team in the bracket.”

In the first meeting with Zumwalt East, sophomore forward Caleb Strauss led the team with 15 points and 23 rebounds.

Junior forward Trevor Alberternst finished with five points in the loss, but has helped carry the load in the paint for Warrenton most of the season.

“Those have been our consistent pieces,” Uffmann said. “And our guards have done a good job of getting the ball to them.”

Senior Dan Morris led the Lions with 15 points in their win over Warrenton, and sophomore Lucas Staley added eight.

“It’s a good measurement to see how much we’ve grown since the beginning of the year,” Uffmann said of the rematch. “We’ve gotten better every day, and hopefully this game will show that.”

Uffmann extended his rotation early in the season to give players opportunities to earn more playing time, but said he expects to whittle the rotation down in the next few weeks.

In the 66-52 loss to Eureka in the GAC/Suburban Shootout, 10 Warriors saw the floor.

The decision has been a tough one for Uffmann, as each player vying for minutes brings something different to the court.

“Clayton (Schowe) is our guy that keeps us under control,” Uffmann said. “Jake (Tonioli) is our outside shooter and Dylan (Chandler) is our change of pace guard, and he can fly down the lane and make things happen. They’re all inexperienced and they all bring different stuff to the table, so that could be a good thing if used correctly.”

As Uffmann figures out his lineup for the second semester, the short-term goals are clear.

“We defintiely want to play better than what our seed is,” he said. “And we want to get on that winner’s side of the bracket.”

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Tuesday, Jan. 5

Game 1 —  No. 4 O’Fallon Christian vs. No. 5 Hannibal, 4 p.m.

Game 2 — No. 1 seed Holt vs. No. 8 Liberty, 5:30 p.m.

Game 3 — No. 2 Fort Zumwalt West vs. No. 7 Elsberry, 7 p.m.

Game 4 — No. 3 Fort Zumwalt East vs. No. 6 Warrenton, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 7

Game 5 — Fort Zumwalt West/Elsberry loser vs. Fort Zumwalt East/Warrenton loser, 4 p.m.

Game 6 — O’Fallon Christian loser vs. Holt/Liberty loser, 5:30 p.m.

Game 7 — O’Fallon Christian winner vs. Holt/Liberty winner, 7 p.m.

Game 8 — Fort Zumwalt West/Elsberry winner vs. Fort Zumwalt East/Warrenton winner, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday. Jan. 9

Seventh-Place Game, 4 p.m.

Consolation Championship, 5:30 p.m.

Third-Place Game, 7 p.m.

Championship, 8:30 p.m.

Trevor Alberternst finishes a fast break with a layup in the GAC/Suburban Shootout Dec. 18.          Kory Carpenter photo.