DEXTER -- The Dexter Bearcats varsity girls basketball team finished with a perfect 8-0 home record at the Bearcat Event Center Thursday night as it beat the Sikeston Bulldogs 68-38.
"It was a pretty emotional night with it being Senior Night," Dexter coach Chad Allen said. "I thought Sikeston came out and played extremely hard and I knew they would do that because coach Schonhoff definitely gets them to play hard. I thought they really got after it and he does a great job with them."
Dexter honored its four seniors - Hannah Noe, Alison Jarrell, Erika Cobb and Paige Patterson - before the start of the varsity contest. The four seniors entered Thursday with a high school record of 90-23 and have finished first in their district tournament each of the last three seasons.
"Our four seniors have definitely been a special group," Allen said. "They've had a high winning percentage from seventh grade to their senior year. They've had a lot of success and I know they want to try to win their district tournament, so hopefully we will be focussed going in and get ready to make a playoff run."
Dexter's seniors all started and took care of business early against Sikeston. The seniors combined for 24 points in the first quarter. Dexter sophomore Dakota Reynolds added two more on a 2-point field goal as the Bearcats led 26-11 at the end of the first quarter.
Sikeston never got closer than 15 in the second quarter but never trailed by more than the halftime score of 40-20.
Mikala Nichols tallied 13 of her team-high 19 points for Sikeston in the first half. She hit both of her team's 3-pointers in the third quarter.
Dexter increased its lead to 30 late in the third quarter. The entire fourth period featured a running clock.
Noe paced Dexter with 22 points. Patterson scored 16 points and Cobb added 15 more.
Dexter shot 53 percent (27 of 51) from the field and Sikeston shot 38 percent (13 of 34).
"Defensively, I thought we did a pretty good job, especially in the second half," Allen said. "Offensively, we struggled at times, but at times we looked real good. Overall, I thought the girls did a good job."
The Dexter varsity girls finish the regular season with a record of 22-3.
Dexter has received a bye in its six-team district tournament Cape Central will host Mar. 1-6.
Top-seeded Dexter is slated to play its semifinal Monday at 6 p.m. against the winner of a quarterfinal between fourth-seeded Kennett and fifth-seeded Cape Central. Quarterfinal games are slated for Saturday. No. 3 seeded Sikeston will play sixth-seeded Perryville Saturday at 1 p.m. and Kennett will play Cape Central Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
"We will prepare for the winner of the Kennett-Cape Central game on Sunday, get ready for them and play that game Monday at 6," Allen said.
Sikeston 8 12 13 5 -- 38
Dexter 26 14 23 5 -- 68
SIKESTON (38) -- Kiera Steward 2, Tyra Bonner 2, Larysa McClellon 1, Brandy Peet 2, Mikala Nichols 18, Erica Peet 10, Ariana Beard 2, Alana Basham 1. FG 13, FT 10-16, F 16. (3-pointers: Nichols 2. Fouled out: none)
DEXTER (68) -- Dakota Reynolds 7, Hannah Noe 22, Alison Jarrell 6, Erika Cobb 15, Paige Patterson 16, Makayla Waldner 2. FG 27, FT 9-14, F 11. (3-pointers: Jarrell 2, Noe 1, Cobb 1, Reynolds 1. Fouled out: none)