Dexter holds on to defeat Kennett

Jerry Jarrell photo Kennett's MacKenzie Carr scrambles for control of the ball after a Dexter turnover at midcourt during the Lady Bearcats' 59-50 win at home Tuesday night. [Click to enlarge]

Dexter's Lady Bearcats improved to 12-6 on the season with a 59-50 win over the Kennett Lady Indians in a makeup game at the Dexter High School gymnasium Tuesday night.

Dexter got 18 points from sophomore Lauren Ward, including three 3-pointers, 18 points from freshman Brittany Harris and 17 points from senior Abbie Warren in handing Kennett just it's fourth loss of the season. The game, Dexter's first in seven days, was originally scheduled for Jan. 11 at the Bearcat Event Center but had to be postponed because of inclement weather.

The game was close from the opening tip as Dexter managed a 14-12 first quarter lead and pushed the advantage to four (27-23) at the half. Dexter came out and went up nine going into the fourth (44-35), but had to convert 5-of-6 free throws in the final minute of play to hold on for the win.

Jerry Jarrell photo Dexter's Abbie Warren hauls in a lob pass over Kennett defender Brittany Williams Tuesday night at Dexter. [Click to enlarge]

"Overall I didn't really think we executed very well offensively or played that great defensively, but these girls still found a way to win and pull this out and I'm just thankful for that," Dexter coach Chad Allen said after the game.

"They stepped up free-throw wise there at the end of the game, but they made some bad decisions at the end of the game, especially when we had time on our side and had the lead," he continued. " I thought we rushed a few shots when we should have been delaying a little bit. And then we fouled them back court and put them on the line late which is definitely not executing very well, but like I said, the girls still stepped up at the end, hit the free throws, and won the game for us."

Harris was 3-of-4 for Dexter in the final minute, while Ward connected on two that set the final score.

Kennett has chalked up 15 wins this season, and even in the loss, Lady Indians coach Casey Bunting was still finding positives for her squad.

"It was a tough loss, and it was a good game," Bunting, now in her fourth year at Kennett, said after the game. "I was very pleased with how hard our girls played. To knock off a team like Dexter would have been ideal with us. But considering that we played this close with them, a program that is this strong, I was pleased with our girls.

"Even though they lost, they were pretty pleased with how well they played," she added. "It was just a matter of a couple of baskets there or a couple of rebounds there and it's a whole different ball game."

After playing the Lady 'Cats close the first half, the Lady Indians had trouble keeping pace as the Lady 'Cats built a double digit lead

"We came out in the third quarter and we were just a little flat," Bunting said. "Then when we started moving again we caught back up, but in the end, of course, they pulled away."

Casey said the effort to get back in the game took its toll on her team late.

"Absolutely," Bunting said when asked if the comeback wore on her team. "It's physically exhausting and mentally exhausting. And the past couple of weeks, we haven't had to fight back. We've been in the position where we've been leading from the get-go. It was a challenge, but it's a good challenge, facing them heading into the end of the season. So we're pleased to have a challenge and pleased to play a program like Dexter."

Kennett was paced offensively by Jerica Wheeler with 19 points and Alexandra Brown with 12.

Dexter will next be in action Thursday at Kelly.

Dexter 59, Kennett 50

KENNETT -- (fg-ftm-fta-tp) Brown 6-0-0-12, Wheeler 7-3-5-19, Carr 3-1-2-8, Amos 3-1-2-7, Williams 1-2-4-4. Totals: 20-7-13-50.

DEXTER -- Frazier 1-0-0-2, Ward 6-3-5-18, Hessling 2-0-0-4, Harris 7-4-8-18, Warren 7-3-4-17. Totals: 23-10-17-59.

3-Pointers: Kennett 3 (Wheeler 2, Carr 1); Dexter 3 (Ward 3).