Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
The Dexter varsity girls’ basketball team is just one win away of a 3-peat at the Lady Royals Classic. They defeated Twin Rivers 85-28 in the championship semifinal Friday evening. These girls are quite impressive on the court and really work well together as a team.
Dexter had a very comfortable lead at half-time leading Twin Rivers 50 - 11.
Five of the 'Cats were in double digits. Both Paige Patterson #22 and Melanie McKuin #11 had game-high points of 16 each. Erika Cobb #15 and Hannah Noe #10 tallied 15 points apiece. Alison Jarrell #12 contributed 12 points including 2 treys for Dexter.
Hannah Noe #10 and Sydney Rogers #21 each added a trey for the Bearcats.
The Lady ‘Cats will play the #2 seed Neelyville in the championship game Saturday evening. Game time 6:30 p.m.
Final Score: #1 Dexter Bearcats 85 #4 Twin Rivers Royals 28
Twin Rivers 8 3 9 8 - 28
Dexter 28 22 28 7 - 85
Twin Rivers (28) - Jaysea Morgan 3, Maci Shearer 4, Hannah Baxter 4, Hannah Sadler 13, Casey Douglas 4. FG 10, FT 7/11, F 16. (3-pointers: Baxter 1. Fouled out: none)
Dexter (85) - Dakota Reynolds 4, Hannah Noe 15, Melanie McKuin 16, Alison Jarrell 12, Erika Cobb 15, Sydney Rogers 5, Paige Patterson 16, Cheyenne Mosby 2. FG 34, FT 13/20, F 13. (3-pointers: Noe 1, Jarrell 2, Rogers 1. Fouled out: none)
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
The Malden Green Wave came in as the #9 seed and what a team they have created this season. They were able to defeat the #8 seed in a battle on the court. Holcomb fought hard, but in the end, the defending champions fell 70 - 67.
Cortez Dobbins was the second highest scoring player of the tournament with his 34 points for Malden.
It was the last few seconds of the game that really woke the crowd. Skyler Johnson quietly sank a free throw and brought the Hornets within just two points of defeating Malden. Holcomb immediately fouled Cortez Dobbins who hit both of his free throws, putting his team up by three.
A three point shot at the buzzer fell short for Holcomb as Malden took home the victory upsetting the Hornets 70 - 67.
Final Score: Holcomb Hornets 67 - Malden Green Wave 70
Holcomb 18 13 15 21 - 67
Malden 11 21 14 24 - 70
HOLCOMB (67) - Ben Vance 6, Bub Davis 20, Preston Sikes 11, Skyler Johnson 3, Cameron Clark 14, Ryan Reeves 13. FG 24, FT 18/32, F 23. (3-pointers: Clark 1. Fouled out: Davis)
MALDEN (70) - Trevor Ison 6, Cortez Dobbins 34, Dremond Robinson 5, Reggie Reed 2, Jeremy Jones 4, Edwin Hale 4, Chauncey McBride 4, Shaeen Perkins 9, Team 2. FG 23, FT 23/32, F 25. (3-pointers: Perkins 1. Fouled out: Jones)
Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Bloomfield, Missouri – The #7 seed Dexter fought a first-class battle against the #10 seed Portageville Bulldogs. They defeated the Bulldogs 54 – 49. Way to go Bearcats!
"We had a good first half and then in the second half I think we got tired a little bit," Dexter head coach Rob Nichols said. "It said a lot about our kids, especially playing three sophomores, plus we play several juniors who don't have much experience.
Cole Renken #33, a 6' 3" sophomore had a tremendous game against Portageville. He earned a game-high 18 points. Peyton Pollock #12, a 6' 1" junior tallied 16 points for the Bearcats. D.J. Dowdy #11 registered 10 points.
The Bulldogs did not go down without a fight. They trailed by 16 going into the half, their 3rd quarter rally put them within just 3 points of a win. A.V. Banks tied the game with his free throw at 49 all with just 49 seconds left in the game.
D.J. Dowdy quickly drove the ball down the court and hit a basket putting the Bearcats on top 51 - 49. Bearcat fans were on their feet!
With just nine seconds left in the game, Cole Renken took a shot inside the paint to increase Dexter's lead to four points, 53 - 49.
"That was a big play there at the end," Nichols said. "We were expecting to shoot free throws and we never get to that point because we made a play and got an easy bucket."
A foul by the Bulldogs gave Peyton Pollock a chance to add another point and ensure a win for the Bearcats.
Final Score: Portageville Bulldogs 49 – Dexter Bearcats 54
Portageville Bulldogs 5 7 20 17 - 49
Dexter Bearcats 9 15 11 19 - 54
Portageville (49) – Fradreico Walton 9, Carlos McGee 6, Jaylin Mosby 6, Chris Garmon 2, Derrick Prigel 10, A.V. Banks 11, Caleb Gooch 5. FG 17, FT 11/15, F 18 (3-pointers: Jaylin Mosby 2, A.V. Banks 2, Fouled Out: none)
Dexter (54) – D.J. Dowdy 10, Peyton Pollock 16, Ethan Flowers 7, Chandler Young 3, Cole Renken 18. FG 19, FT 12/21, F 15 (3-pointers: D.J. Dowdy 1, Peyton Pollock 2, Ethan Flowers 1, Fouled Out: none)
The Dexter Bearcats will be back in action on Friday, December 27th at 8:30 p.m. when they take on the Indians of Hayti.
The Bulldogs of Portageville will play Van Buren at 1:00 p.m. in the 3rd consolation game of the tournament on Friday, December 27th.
Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Bloomfield, Missouri – Twin Rivers Royals entered the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament as a #6 seed and defeated the #11 seed the East Prairie Eagles.
Eric Ray #23 tallied a game-high 35 points against the Eagles and was the highest scoring player so far in the tournament. All of his points came from 2-point baskets and he was 7 for 8 from the free-throw line. Nathan Watson #5 scored 12 points and Andrew Mittlestadt #20 contributed 10 points.
Zach Underberg #1, Jase Worley #3, and Mason Douglas #24 each added a trey.
Twin Rivers led each of the four quarters and sunk a basket at the buzzer to lead East Prairie 67 – 43 at the end of the 3rd quarter.
East Prairie had three players in double digits. Damion Tipler #22 had a game-high 24 points along with Dustin Bryars #3 and Mack Marcum #11 who each added 10 points.
Dustin Bryars #3 tallied two treys for the Eagles. Seth Bays #2 and Deverance Jones #23 each added a 3-pointer.
Final Score Twin Rivers Royals 84 – East Prairie Eagles 58
East Prairie 13 16 14 15 – 58
Twin Rivers 21 20 26 17 - 84
East Prairie Eagles (58) – Seth Johnson 2, Seth Bays 5, Dustin Bryars 10, Brett Ellis 2, Mack Marcum 10, Damion Tipler 24, Deverance Jones 3, Brandon Evans 2. FG 24, FT 6/11, F 14 (3-pointers: Seth Bays 1, Dustin Bryars 2, Deverance Jones 1, Fouled Out: none)
Twin Rivers Royals (84) – Zach Underber 3, Jase Wroley 3, Nathan Watson 12, Chance Wilkerson 6, Jesse Robards 2, Andrew Mittlestadt 10, Eric Ray 35, Mason Douglas 5, Seth Snider 8. FG 35, FT 11/15, F 13 (3-pointers: Zach Underberg 1, Jase Worley 1, Mason Douglas 1, Fouled Out: none)
Twin Rivers Royals will play #3 seed Bernie Mules at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 27th.
The East Prairie Eagles will play Puxico at 11:30 a.m., Friday, December 27th in the second game of the consolation portion of the tournament.
Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Bloomfield, Missouri – There’s always one upset of the day and the award goes to the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders vs the Bloomfield Wildcats game.
Those who expected Saxony Lutheran seeded #5 to overpower the Bloomfield Wildcats who are seeded #12 were badly mistaken. The Wildcats wanted a win and they fought a great battle!
“We are a real young team and we know that,” commented head basketball Coach Jason Karnes. “Everybody kind of says, maybe you guys will be pretty good in a year or two. We use that as motivation and say why wait for a year or two, let’s be a little bit better than what we are right now.”
The Wildcats had three players ending with double digits in the first round of the tournament. Noah Vandiver #33 tallied a game-high 22 points, Triston Mitchell #34 contributed 16 and Nathan Newell #21 tallied 13.
Nathan Newell was the only Wildcat to score a trey.
“I think those guys are finally starting to believe in themselves,” stated Karnes. “We have had some really good practices and are probably as good as any group we have ever had.”
Saxony’s Jack Lake scored a game-high 19 points including one trey. Ryan Palmer was amazing at the 3-point line. He had 4 treys for the Crusaders and finished with 14 points. Zach Beal contributed 10 points and was 4 for 4 at the free throw line.
Saxony was leading Bloomfield after the end of the first quarter 20 – 11 and again at the half 33 – 19. It looked like Saxony had this one in the bag, but whatever Karnes said in the locker room it made a tremendous difference in the second half.
“We finally decided to play a little bit of defense. We didn’t think we came out and guarded very well in the first half or did any of the things we prepared for prior to the game,” stated Karnes. “We didn’t change anything at half time, we just started doing what we were supposed to do all along.”
By the end of the 3rd quarter the Wildcats not only gained on the Crusaders, but also held them to just 4 points. Bloomfield was able to score 17 points in the 3rd and decrease the lead to just one point, 37 – 36. The Wildcats stepped up their attack and scored 27 points in the 4th quarter to take the lead and defeat Saxony Lutheran by a score of 63 – 48.
“We would get beat off the dribble and we didn’t stay in front of the basket. In the second half we did a lot better job of containing the basketball and that’s where it has to start,” continued Coach Karnes.
Final Score: Bloomfield Wildcats 63 – Saxony Lutheran Crusaders 48
Bloomfield Wildcats 11 8 17 27 - 63
Saxony Lutheran Crusaders 20 13 4 11 - 48
Bloomfield (63) – Nathan Newell 13, Tim Fox 4, Jacob Clary 2, Noah Vandiver 22, Triston Mitchell 16, Alex Gibbs 6. FG 24, FT 14/18, F 17. (3-pointers: Nathan Newell, Fouled Out: none)
Saxony Lutheran (48) – Zach Beal 10, Ryan Palmer 14, Hunter Coe 5, Jack Lake 19. FG 16, FT 10/21, F 14 (3-pointers: Ryan Palmer 4, Hunter Coe 1, Jack Lake 1, Fouled Out: none)
Bloomfield will be back in action at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, December 27th to take on South Pemiscot. This will be game #14 of the tournament.
Saxony Lutheran will play Doniphan at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, December 27th in the first consolation game of the tournament.
