Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Dexter, Missouri - Bernie rallies in the fourth quarter to defeat the Dexter Bearcats at Homecoming. The Bearcats had a tremendous first half leading the Mules at the end of the first and second quarter.
“I thought we played well,” commented Dexter head basketball coach Rob Nichols. “We didn’t score a lot of points, but I think we ran our offense effectively and got good looks. As we get a little bit stronger a lot of that stuff around the basket and some of those jump shots are going to go in. We have just got to get stronger.”
Dexter’s Ethan Flowers was the only Bearcat in double figures with a total of 11 including one trey. Austin Chess also scored a 3-pointers.
Caleb Ellenburg had the game-high 18 points for Bernie. B.J. Jennings tallied 15 points including three 3-pointers. Jake Wagner and Devin Trammell each added a trey for the Mules.
“We knew coming in tonight that this was going to be a battle and we didn’t expect anything different,” Bernie head basketball coach Brad Botsch said. “In a game like this it doesn’t matter who has been winning and losing. It’s going to be a fight."
The Mules were able to hold the Bearcats to just 9 points in the second half scoring 27 of their own.
"I thought in the second half we really buckled down," Botsch continued. "I think we broke through our kids a little bit at halftime. Sometimes we have a hard-headed group and I think something clicked with a few of the seniors at halftime. They came out with a lot more focus on what we wanted them to do and executed much, much better."
"Credit Dexter for their effort," Botsch added. "They battled and fought and we totally expected that."
Dexter (3-7) will travel to Puxico to take on the Indians Tuesday, January 21st. Game time 6:00 p.m. Bernie (13-1) will travel to Holcomb on Monday, January 20th, Bloomfield Tuesday night and then at hosting Puxico on Friday for Homecoming.
"You have to take them one game at a time and you don't look past anybody," Botsch said of next week’s schedule. "You've got a little bit of a target on your back and want to go into those games as prepared as possible. We are going to treat every one of them as a state playoff game. We are going to do our homework and work hard to make sure we don't overlook anybody because anybody can knock you off and as I've said all year 'we don't have much margin for error and have to do everything right to keep competing.'"
Final Score Varsity Bernie Mules 50 Dexter Bearcats 36
Bernie 11 12 10 17 - 50
Dexter 13 14 2 7 - 36
Bernie (50) - Jake Wagner 7, B.J. Jennings 15, Bubby Schwent 3, Devin Trammell 3, Joey Walker 4, Caleb Ellenburg 18. FG 16, FT 13/21, F 18. (3-pointers: B.J. Jennings 3, Jake Wagner 1, Devin Trammell 1. Fouled out: none)
Dexter (36) - Noah Kronk 6, D.J. Dowdy 8, Peyton Pollock 4, Austin Chesser 5, Ethan Flowers 11, Cole Renken 2. FG 13, FT 8/10, F 23. (3-pointers: Austin Chesser 1, Ethan Flowers 1. Fouled out: Chandler Young, Austin Chesser)
