Dexter jumps on tired Kennett quickly in SEMO Tourney W

Dexter senior Caitlin Giles pulls down a rebound against Kennett in the SEMO Conference Tournament consolation semifinals on Wednesday at Kennett.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

KENNETT – The Kennett girl’s basketball squad has wasted no time in testing itself from a physical and mental perspective this season.

The Indians have opened the 2022-23 season by playing three games in as many days, and on Wednesday, in their SEMO Conference Tournament consolation semifinal battle with Dexter at Kennett, that fatigue showed quickly.

The Bearcats opened the game on a 17-2 tear and held on for a 60-40 victory.

“We really played hard last night against Notre Dame,” Kennett coach Aaron New said. “I was really proud of our effort last night. I told the girls in the locker room that I was concerned about the first quarter.”

New, who also guides one of the top baseball programs in the state, is an experienced and highly successful coach for a reason, and his “concern” was valid.

Dexter outscored the Indians 15-2 by the end of the opening quarter, as it got offense from four different players and defense from the seven players that fourth-year Bearcat coach Eric Sitze rotated in the game early.

“If we could come into the game and hang in there in the first quarter,” New said, “and keep it close, then I thought we’d be OK.

“We just didn’t have any legs.”

The Bearcats got loose balls, rebounds, and seven quick points from sophomore Kate Nichols to take the early lead before the Indians found some rhythm.

Kennett pressed Dexter throughout much of the game in an effort to generate some offense, as much as the strategy is to prevent the opposition from scoring.

“The girls have to be in the right places,” Sitze said of his instructions to his players in handling the defensive pressure. “And they have to be somewhat calm.”

The Indian pressure did begin to pay some dividends in the second quarter, as New’s kids scored 19 points. However, the fatigue showed, as Kennett committed numerous fouls and sent Dexter to the line for 10 free throws (the Bearcats were an incredible 9 of 10 from the line) in the second quarter, alone.

“Where we had some problems,” Sitze said, “when we started to turn it over some in the first half, we got fast, and we didn’t stick to our gameplan. We didn’t stick to our offense.”

Kennett (0-3) hung with the Bearcats (1-1) over the final 20 minutes of the game, but the initial 12 was just too much to overcome.

Aside from fatigue, Kennett also had to deal with the offensive balance that the Bearcats showed.

Six different players produced offensively in the opening half, with Allison Turnbo, Caitlin Giles, Klaire Essner, and Nichols each scoring between six and nine points before halftime.

Giles, a 5-foot-10 senior post, joined Nichols by scoring six points apiece in the third quarter when Dexter again dominated the Indians (17-8) at both ends.

“There were a few times,” Sitze said of the fast break opportunities, “where I thought Caitlin should have attacked the basket, but she gave it up. I felt like she could have scored both times.

“The next couple of times, she attacked the basket and scored. So, it is just experience and going through those experiences and playing against it.”

Nichols paced Dexter with 17 points, while Giles added 15.

Turnbo chipped in nine points, while Essner (eight points) and Abbie Lloyd (seven) also contributed.

Indian sophomore Aneika Farmer scored 10 points, while senior Taleigh Harrell put in a team-best 16.

Dexter will play against Poplar Bluff in the consolation championship game on Friday at 5 p.m.

Kennett will host Senath-Hornersville on Monday at 7:30 p.m.