Dexter edges Bell City for Stoddard Co. season title

SIKESTON -- Dexter won its fourth consecutive Stoddard County regular-season championship on Tuesday night, edging Bell City in an 89-81 shootout.

The win comes on the heels of another close call with Bell City, where the Bearcats pulled out a two-point victory in the conference tournament.

"We're glad to be done with Bell City," said Dexter coach Eric Sitze. "If we hadn't had a decent effort tonight, they would've beat us. They push the ball real well, they play hard, they don't quit and they're in good shape. They're a good basketball team. They are going to give a lot of people in 1A troubles if they play like they played tonight."

Dexter (19-3, 7-0) dropped into a fourth-quarter stall with an 11-point lead, only to see Bell City close the gap to one point with a minute to play.

The Bearcats were able to hold off the late charge and preserve the victory.

"We had a chance to win the ballgame," said Bell City coach David Heeb. "We had one minute to go in the regular-season conference and we had a shot to be the champs. It's disappointing not to win, but I'm proud of the effort."

Since the Christmas break, Bell City has a record of 10-2, with both losses coming to Dexter. They've won 17 of their last 20.

"We feel like if we play as well as we can play, we've got a realistic shot at winning a state championship," said Heeb.

"We've just got to get smarter. A team that's not very smart is not going to be consistent. To win a state championship, you've got to win eight games in a row. That's our goal and what we've been shooting for."

Bell City (18-5, 6-1) jumped out to a 20-16 lead in the game and was ahead 43-42 at halftime. The Bearcats took the lead in the third quarter and held a 66-63 advantage heading into the fourth.

"It seems like (Bell City) always saves their best for us," said Sitze. "They can put a lot of pressure on your defense with their offense. They do a lot of things right and have some really good athletes."

Both teams combined for 17 three-pointers in the game, with Dexter hitting seven and Bell City knocking down 10.

Chris Carr led all Dexter scorers with 20 points. He also blocked six shots and pulling down 12 rebounds. Chad Gill finished with 16, while Chris Hyten and Matt Christian each contributed 14.

Kyle Christian added 13.

"(Dexter's) style of play overwhelms a lot of teams in our conference," said Heeb. "They out-rebounded you, and they run for four quarters and eventually wear you down. We play the same style. You're not going to wear us down and we rebound really well. They've got more size than we do and they're probably a little more athletic, but I think we match up real well. And I think everybody in the county gets up for Dexter because they're the team to beat."

Dominitrix Johnson led the Bell City charge with 29 points on the night.

"I don't remember him missing a shot," said Sitze. "He had to shoot a good percentage. You don't see kids pull up for jumpshots anymore, but he does. He can shoot the three or he can drive to the hole. He has the whole package -- he's a good player."

C.J. Hadly scored 18 points, followed by Eric Henry with 13 and Jason Rampley with 11.

Dexter will travel to Kennett on Friday while Bell City travels to Risco.

"I'm really pleased with my kids tonight," said Sitze. "We really had a good effort. A lot of people look at this score and say a 3A team only beat a 1A team by eight points. I say put them on your schedule this year and see how you do against them."