Jackson girls basketball win inaugural SEMO conference title

Jackson players are presented with the traveling trophy after winning the championship game 51-46 against Dexter in the inaugural SEMO Conference Girls Basketball Tournament on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Brian Rosener, Daily American Republic

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Jackson made sure there would be at least one upset in the inaugural SEMO Conference Girls Basketball Tournament Thursday night.

Led by three players in double figures, the second-seeded Indians built a solid lead, held off several late charges and toppled No. 1 Dexter with a 51-46 victory to claim the first conference tournament title.

"It's an awesome feeling to be the first champions, I'm extremely excited," Jackson coach Tyler Abernathy said. "I think you're going to see this tournament grow into a great thing just like the boys have got going, but for now I'm just glad we get to take home the first one."

Jackson's Nikki Sotak shoots free throws during the fourth quarter of the championship game against Dexter in the inaugural SEMO Conference Girls Basketball Tournament on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Brian Rosener, Daily American Republic

Abby Hermann led the way with 14 points and nailed 3 of Jackson's 5 three-pointers. Rylee Stafford and Alexis Allstun each scored 12 plus Nikki Sotak chipped in eight second-half points for Jackson, which was 14 of 20 from the free throw line.

The Indians (4-1) led by as many as 18 points in the first half and took a 28-12 advantage into halftime.

Dexter (2-3) found some success to begin the third quarter behind the play of Chaylea Mosby, who scored the Bearcats' first 12 points of the second half to cut Jackson's lead to 32-24. She finished with 21 points -- all in the second half -- and made five 3-pointers.

Both teams scored eight points over the final three minutes of the third period with Jackson up 39-31.

Jackson and Dexter went bucket for bucket again over the first five minutes of the final quarter until Natalie Sitze and Mosby hit back-to-back 3s to trim the deficit to 50-46.

"You had to know that that's a great Dexter team that's extremely well coached. You had to know that 15-point lead wasn't going to hold," Abernathy said. "I'm extremely proud of my girls for realizing that (Dexter) was going to come out fired up, because they did."

That was as close as the Lady Bearcats would get as Jackson hit 3 of 5 from the free throw line in the final two minutes to ice it.

"We were so far down, it took a lot of gas to come back," Sitze said.

Dexter's Chaylea Mosby attempts to squeeze between a pair of Jackson defenders during the championship game of the inaugural SEMO Conference Girls Basketball Tournament on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Brian Rosener, Daily American Republic

Dexter's streak of slow starts continued and extended well into the second half this time around.

The Lady Bearcats were 4 of 20 from the field in the first half, making just two buckets a quarter.

Dexter took a 2-0 lead on a Maycie Martin's putback 48 seconds into the game but it was short-lived.

Alexis Allstun answered with a layup to tie the game and kick off a 9-2 run. Allstun, Abby Hermann and Rylee Stafford each had two points during that stretch.

Hannah Thurmon scored Dexter's only other first-quarter field goal to cut Jackson's lead to 9-4.

"They were being real physical with us and then playing great defense, making everything has for us," assistant coach Eric Sitze said of Dexter's first-half shooting. "Second half I thought we kind of switched it on them."

Dexter's stayed cold and Jackson heated up in the second, scoring the first nine points to build an 18-4 advantage.

After Rylee Allen completed a three-point play for the Lady Bearcats, Stafford took over for the Indians hitting the next five points, including a trey.

Abby Hermann also hit from beyond the arc a possession later before Stafford hit one of two from the charity stripe to send the Indians into the locker room with a 28-12 lead.

There was more bad news for Dexter as coach Chad Allen was whistled for two technical fouls just three minutes apart, leading to his exit from the game.

Jackson took advantage, scoring six points off of the technicals, including Hermann's 3-pointer following the first one.

Natalie Sitze had eight points while Martin and Thurmon each had six for the Lady Bearcats, who were 7 of 9 from the free throw stripe.

JACKSON (51) -- Randa Norman 1, Nikki Sotak 8, Rylee Stafford 12, Abby Hermann 14, Mah Massey 4, Alexis Allstun 12. FG 11, FT 14-20, F 13 (3-pointers: Hermann 3, Massey, Stafford. Fouled out: None.)

DEXTER (46) -- Maycie Martin 6, Rylee Allen 3, Natalie Sitze 8, Hannah Thurman 6, Harley Allen 2, Chaylea Mosby 21. FG 9, FT 4-7, F 18 (3-pointers: Mosby 5, Sitze 2. Fouled out: None.)