Similar games, different endings at Farmington

But Dexter was able to get a boost from one of its go-to players in the fourth quarter and never trailed Sullivan, while Sikeston saw its lead taken away by yet another Borgia 3-pointer and never held the lead in the final 4 1/2 minutes.

Dexter senior Ashlee Taylor, limited to two points while picking up four fouls by early in the third period, drove into the lane for three field goals to help Dexter stretch a 33-30 lead to 37-32 with 3:42 remaining in the game.

Jill Temples added a layup off a steal to give Dexter a 39-32 lead with 3:07 to go, and from there it was a deliberate Dexter offense to complement its trademark stingy defense.

Dexter (28-0) won its second straight game with its leading scorer, Katelyn Heil, on the bench.

Heil finished with 11 points and never got untracked, hitting only one 3-pointer, which came during Dexter's third-period rally just before her fourth foul.

Heil, the SEMO Conference co-player of the year last year and arguably the best player in the region this year, also sat out much of the sectional win against Farmington due to foul problems.

But Dexter has shown it has enough weapons and leaders to work around such predicaments.

Both Heil and Taylor were on the bench when Dexter completed a 13-0 run that took the Bearcats from a 25-16 deficit into a 39-25 lead by the end of the third period. Cathryn Heil had four points in the rally, including a go-ahead layup on a fast-break after a wild scramble for the ball in Sullivan's end which began with Kayla Joyner breaking up a pass; Jill Temples had four free throws as part of her 10-for-10 performance from the line in the second half; and Abbie Warren demonstrated how badly she wanted to win by fighting for a rebound off a missed free throw and throwing in a shot to tie the game 25-25.

What nearly did in Dexter in the first half was poor shooting (1-for-10 in the second period) and Sullivan's offensive rebounding, but the Bearcats were more patient on offense in the second half, cleaned up the rebounding and used their defense to set up some scoring.

Sullivan, like Borgia, had closed the third period with a big 3-pointer to stop the bleeding, but the Eagles opened the fourth with a missed 3-pointer and a shot that was blocked, while a missed front end on a 1-and-1 and three consecutive missed field goal attempts helped Dexter pull away.

Borgia, on the other hand, hit a couple big shots in the fourth -- a 3-pointer by Michael Dempsey and a backdoor layup by Mac Findeiss -- to take the momentum back from Sikeston.

The Bulldogs never were able to get into much of a transition game against Borgia, which also concentrated on packing in on Michael Porter down low and preventing Jaqualin Wiggins from penetrating.

Wiggins, who had 22 in the sectional, scored seven Saturday.

Porter had 13, about nine below his average, and he hit scored 10 points in the second half to get there.

Borgia hit eight 3-pointers in the first half, hardly looking inside (taking one shot inside the arc and making it), while building a 26-16 lead.

The Bulldogs utilized a more aggressive zone -- switching from a 2-3 to a 1-2-2 trap -- to go on an 11-1 run that tied the game at 27-27. Eli Jackson had nine of Sikeston's 11 points in the run.

Porter took over at the end of the third period with a putback and four free throws to give Sikeston a 33-30 lead.

But a 3-pointer by Borgia at the buzzer deadlocked the teams at 33.

Jackson scored inside for Sikeston to open the fourth period, but Borgia scored six straight points before Porter scored off a Sikeston steal. Porter converted again with 2:40 to go on a jumper from the free throw line.

But when Borgia's Nathan Scheer, whose status was uncertain due to injury, scored on a layin with 2:20 to play, Sikeston didn't have answer.

Borgia played keep away until Dempsey was fouled with 1:14 to play. He hit one of two for a 42-39 lead.

Jackson was fouled on the other end but missed two free throws, and Borgia -- which had been 4-for-7 on FTs -- then hit nine straight while Sikeston could only muster a dunk by Cal Lane with the game no longer in doubt.

Sikeston finished with 10 3-pointers and just four 2-pointers, but the layup by Scheer, who scored five points, may have been the game's biggest basket.

Sikeston coach Gregg Holified after the game:

"I thought we did a better job in the second half of taking some of those 3s away. We get beat 10 points but it was a two- or three-point game with a minute to go. We were right there in a position to where, if you get a break here or there, we're right there."

On zone vs. man-to-man:

"We knew if we went man, I've scouted them enough to know they are so good with their motion offense and we knew had to try to contain ... we played the second half the way I wanted to play. They're just a great 3-point shooting team but I thought we were in a better position and did a much better job with it.

"We played man probably seven or eight possessions. Ironically, they hit three 3s out of it in the first half, so they were the great at the dribble-penetration and kick. They're really good at what they do."

Borgia defense on Porter:

"They did a great job. We were trying to get some cutting action going but we just didn't get to where we wanted to in certain situations, but you have to give them credit. That's why they're the No. 1 team in the state."