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Incarnate Word, Napheesa Collier routs Lady Bearcats 66-25
COLUMBIA -- All season long the Dexter Lady Bearcats basketball team has went by the mantra, "one team, one dream."
On Thursday the Lady Bearcats saw that dream shattered by the nationally ranked, undefeated Incarnate Word Red Knights in impressive fashion 66-25.
"Definitely a tough opponent today," said Dexter head coach Chad Allen. "I think all of us coaches in Class 4 were disappointed to see them come down from Class 5. They are an extremely tough team. They are good at every position."
The Knights came into the game with a 29-0 record and are the 12th ranked team in the nation by USA Today. They average beating their opponents by more than 35 points and knocked off Kirksville 78-26 in the quarterfinal game on Saturday.
Incarnate Word showed they were as impressive as their record in Thursday's semifinal, quickly jumping ahead of the underdog Lady Bearcats 7-0. Dexter senior Brittany Harris hit two free throws for Dexter's first points with 4:50 to play in the first quarter but the Knights scored the final 14 points of the quarter to take a 21-2 lead.
"We always talk about dictating the tone right off the bat, the first three minutes of the game, and I thought we did a really good job of that today," said Incarnate Word head coach Dan Rolfes. "Attacking the basket, getting to the free throw line and then defensively to hold them to two in the first quarter I think that really set the tone of the game."
Allen said he thought nerves played a part in the game for Dexter early as Incarnate Word, playing in their fourth-straight final four, seemed at home on the Mizzou Arena floor.
"Coming into this game they had a lot of playoff experience," Allen said. "I think that helped them a lot and for us I think we had a little bit of nerves starting out and I think that was the biggest difference in the first quarter."
Another difference was the play of Incarnate Word's highly-touted sophomore Napheesa Collier. The 6-1 forward scored 12 first quarter points on her way to 28 points in the game. She also grabbed 16 rebounds, including 13 in the first half. Dexter managed just eight first half rebounds as a team.
"I thought Napheesha Collier played an extremely tough game," Allen said. "I think she outrebounded us in the first half alone. She got a lot of offensive rebound stick backs and I thought that was a difference in the game."
"I was really nervous but I just wanted to put it behind me because it was a big game," Collier said. "We wanted to get to the championship."
While Collier seemed to score at will, the Lady Bearcats struggled to score. Harris connected on Dexter's first field goal of the half with 5:44 remaining in the second quarter cutting the score to 21-4 but Incarnate Word built a 36-10 lead at the break, helped by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Carly Frala.
Dexter was 2 for 12 from the floor in the first half and finished 5 of 31 for the game for 16 percent.
"None of our shots were falling and we weren't aggressive getting to the basket," Harris said. "And I thought we let them being nationally ranked get into our heads."
Incarnate Word continued their impressive play in the second half, stretching their lead to 57-20 after three and cruised to the 66-25 win.
"We expected a very close game," Rolfes said. "I've watched many Dexter games. They are very well-coached and they mix up their defenses very well. I thought our kids just did a really good job attacking them and not letting their press effect us."
Nakiah Bell finished with 15 points and was 3 for 3 from the 3-point line for Incarnate Word. Harris led Dexter (26-4) with eight points.
The Lady Bearcats will take on Smithville (25-5) today at 1:40 p.m. in the third place game. Smithville lost a heartbreaker to Webb City 54-53 in the other semifinal.
"We just have to try and get over this game," said Dexter senior Katelyn Frazier. "No Dexter team has ever come this far and won a game so it would be the first for our town and would be big deal."
| Incarnate Word | 21 | 15 | 21 | 9 | -- | 66 |
| Dexter | 2 | 8 | 10 | 5 | -- | 25 |
INCARNATE WORD (66) -- Nakiah Bell 15, Nia Roth 5, Carly Frala 9, Napheesa Collier 28, Gwen Adams 5, Katie Lacefield 2, McKenna Treece 2. FG 25, FT 12-14, F 16. (3-pointers: Bell 3, Frala 1. Fouled out: none)
DEXTER (25) -- Katelyn Frazier 5, Hannah Noe 6, Brittany Harris 8, Mollie Whitehead 2, Makayla Waldner 4. FG 5, FT 15-19, F 14. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none).