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Leah Cauble, Oran girls basketball stun Dexter 68-45
DEXTER, Mo — Two of the area’s top girls basketball players faced off Wednesday night at the Bearcat Event Center.
Chaylea Mosby and the Class 4 sixth-ranked Dexter Bearcats took on Leah Cauble and the Class 2 seventh-ranked Oran Eagles.
While both girls put up good numbers, Cauble’s teammates made the difference in the Eagles’ 68-45 victory.
Cauble, who is averaging 37 points a game, scored a game-high 30 points, and Mosby, whose average is 27, produced 25.
Mosby was the only Dexter player to score in double figures, while three of Cauble’s teammates scored 11 or more.
Jessie Long scored 15 points, Katelyn Streeter had 12 and Kaylee Payne had 11, helping the Eagles soar to a 40-20 halftime lead.
“We came out and hit some shots,” Oran coach Ethan Evans said. “I knew if we moved the ball around, they’d be focused on Leah a lot (and) that hopefully some other girls would step up and make some shots, and they did at the beginning of the game. That was really nice to see, especially this time of year.”
Streeter made three 3-pointers in the first quarter, and Long scored six points, as the Eagles took a 21-16 lead after the opening period.
The lead changed hands only once in the first quarter, but the score was tied three times.
The Bearcats (19-5) took a 4-0 lead on a steal and layup by Mosby, who scored 10 first-quarter points, and Maycie Martin’s baseline jumper. Martin finished with eight points.
Cauble drove the lane for Oran’s first points, Streeter made her first 3-pointer and Long’s jumper put the Eagles ahead 7-4.
Mosby made the first of her five 3-pointers to tie the score at 7.
Long scored twice under the basket to give Oran a pair of two-point leads, but Martin’s baseline jumper and Natalie Sitze’s driving layup tied the score at 9 and 11, respectively.
Streeter’s second-3-pointer and Cauble’s fast-break layup put the Eagles ahead 16-11, and they never trailed again.
A second-chance basket by Mosby and her 3-pointer cut the Bearcats’ deficit to three points twice, but Payne scored inside to give Oran a five-point lead after one quarter.
The Eagles (18-4) sandwiched 17 points between baskets by Keirstan Keirsey to give them a 38-20 lead.
Cauble (2), Long and Payne each made 3-pointers during that stretch. Cauble scored on a three-point play, and Payne made two free throws.
Payne scored on an inbounds play to set the halftime score at 40-20.
Mosby didn’t score a point in the second, as the Eagles took control of the game.
“(We were) just talking and passing her off to different people in the zone,” Evans said of his team’s defense of Mosby. “She’s one of the best players around here. She’s tough if you give her any daylight on that 3-point shot. She’s going to knock it down. We knew that. We did a good job of getting up and not necessarily denying her, but we were right there as soon as she caught it to make sure we hand a hand up on her.”
The two teams played nearly even in the second half with the Eagles holding a 28-25 scoring edge.
Cauble scored 12 of her points after halftime, and Mosby scored 15 in the second half.
The Bearcats, whose four-game win streak ended, didn’t attempt a free throw in the loss, while Oran went 12 of 14.
Both Oran and Dexter have aspirations of making the final four in their respective classes. Dexter placed third in Class 4 last season, and Oran finished fourth in Class 2.
“You talk about signature wins, real good wins for your program,” Evans said. “We got one last year over Saxony (Lutheran), and we hadn’t had one yet this year. … It’s nice to be able to put one of those victories up to get you some confidence going into postseason play.”
The top-seeded Eagles open district play against Bismarck at 3 p.m. Saturday in Perryville.
Dexter’s district tournament begins Feb. 24 at the Bearcat Event Center. Seeding for the tournament will be determined Saturday.
Dexter assistant coach Eric Sitze was unavailable for comment after the game. Sitze was directing the team because head coach Chad Allen was receiving treatment at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
| Oran | 21 | 19 | 16 | 12 | — | 68 |
| Dexter | 16 | 4 | 15 | 10 | — | 45 |
ORAN (18-4) — Payne 4(1) 2-2 11. Streeter 4(4) 0-0 12. Cauble 11(2) 6-6 30. Long 5(1) 4-6 15. C. Ramsey 0. M. Ramsey 0. Webb 0. Totals 24(8) 12-14 68.
DEXTER (19-5) — Martin 4 0-0 8. Allen 1 0-0 2. Sitze 2 0-0 4. Keirsey 3 0-0 6. Mosby 10(5) 0-0 25. Werneck 0. McBride 0. Asberry 0. Totals 20(5) 0-0 45.