LRCC: Dexter overcomes East Carter to reach championship game

BROSELEY — Dexter overcame a slow start and an early double-digit deficit to reach the finals of the 24th Lady Royals Christmas Classic.

The Bearcats outscored East Carter 22-11 in the fourth quarter to rally Tuesday night for a 60-54 win at Twin Rivers High School.

“I just think we have a lot of girls with not a lot of experience in these situations,” Dexter coach Eric Sitze said. “And you could see that throughout the game. It showed up off and on all game.”

East Carter's Breanna Dohleman (25) shoots over Dexter's Avery Neely (23) during the semifinals of the Lady Royals Christmas Classic on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, in Broseley, Mo.DAR/Brian Rosener

Senior forward Dulcie Pullen sank six free throws in the final 26 seconds to keep the Redbirds at bay after East Carter missed a chance to pull even at the free-throw line.

Kate Nichols scored 22 points, sinking 8 of 11 free throws, while Pullen finished with 19 points to lead the Bearcats.

Dexter (7-2) will face top-seeded Doniphan in the championship game at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

East Carter's Anna Crowley, center, rebounds between Dexter's Caitlin Giles, left, and Dulcie Pullen (25) during the semifinals of the Lady Royals Christmas Classic on Tuesday night, Dec. 21, 2021, in Broseley, Mo.DAR/Brian Rosener

Dexter advanced to the finals for the first time since 2018 when the Bearcats won the last of their record 10 championships.

Doniphan will be looking to win the tournament for a seven time and first since 2006.

“Doniphan is tough, and they’re so deep,” Sitze said.

“It’s really going to make it hard on us but that’s good. That’s what we want,” he added. “I really want that experience for the girls so that’s why we’re here.”

After placing sixth last year as the 11th seed, East Carter will play on the final day for a third straight year.

The third-seeded Redbirds took a 43-38 lead into the fourth quarter but shot just 5 of 16 from the field and struggled from the foul line.

“I think our free throws were the biggest thing, especially in that fourth quarter,” East Carter coach Angela Rodgers said.

“Foul trouble seems to plague us, the wrong people at the wrong times.”

A night after sinking 30 of 45 free throws, the Bears shot 33% at the line.

Brooklyn Kearbey scored 17 points, Breanna Dohleman added 13 while Jordan Moore and Elizabeth Crowley each scored 11 for the Redbirds (5-2).

Doniphan finished plus-12 on rebounds and scored 18 second-chance points to East Carter’s nine points. Caitlin Giles and Allison Turnbo each had 14 rebounds for Dexter while scoring seven and six points respectively.

“We definitely didn’t play as clean as we should have and as aggressive as we should have,” Rodgers said.

The Redbirds started red hot.

Moore sank a pair of 3-pointers and Kearbey added another during a 13-2 run to start the game.

Dexter finished the opening quarter with a 9-2 run and the teams were tied four times during the second before Kearbey sank a 3-pointer off a pass from Moore. That started a 6-2 run to the half over the final 2:42 as East Carter took a 30-26 lead into the break.

“I just don’t feel like we played very well,” Stize said. “But it’s a tournament, you survive and go on.”

Dexter again fell behind by double digits to start the second half as the Redbirds scored eight straight. Moore’s 3 off a pass from Jaci Douglas put East Carter up 38-26 and the margin was 12 again later with 4 1/2 left in the third.

The Bearcats rallied by forcing five turnovers and limiting East Carter to one field goal the rest of the quarter for a 10-3 run.

Nichols sank a 3 off a pass from Avery Neely to cut East Carter’s lead to 40-38.

“Nichols really stepped up tonight,” Sitze said. “Played fearless. That’s the kind of kid she is, you don’t see many freshmen that can go out and handle it the way she does.”

Dexter pulled ahead 44-43 on a pair of free throws by Nichols with just under six minutes to play. Nichols later got a second-chance bucket and her free throw with 4:13 left put Dexter up 48-43.

Moore pulled East Carter to within a point after a putback by Dohleman and a Dexter turnover.

Giles answered with a baseline drive and Nichols took a defensive rebound coast-to-coast for a 52-47 lead with 2 1/2 minutes left.

Still up five in the final minute, Dexter turned the ball over leading to Dohleman’s three-point play. Pressing, the Redbirds forced a turnover when a diving Anna Crowley poked a loose ball to a teammate for a wide-open layup. Instead, a foul was called during the scramble and Dexter came away with a rebound on the missed free throw.

Forced to foul, the Redbirds sent Pullen to the line three times.

“We haven’t been in many of those situations,” Rodgers said of trailing late.

“We shouldn’t have to put ourselves in that situation.”