Dexter has several scorers on its roster so teams need to step up defensively or it can be a long night. Pioneer brought its A defensive game on the road Friday night and returned to Ann Arbor with a 54-35 win over the Dreadnaughts. A big fourth quarter was the difference in this SEC Red showdown.
“I loved the effort defensively and on the glass, which carried us tonight,” said Pioneer Coach Rich Marioin. “Obviously, we struggled shooting, but I thought we executed and took good looks for the most part. Nelson Sompa made some big plays late, and Tyler Mutinda was a force.”
Sompa (4-7 shooting), Mutinda (11 rebounds) and Nate Freisthler (eight rebounds) all scored 10 points for Pioneer in the win. Miles Powell had seven points and Reed Yuhas and Madden Delaney each scored four.
Evan Haroldson led Dexter with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Reeves Taylor added 6 points and 8 rebounds and AJ Vaughn scored five for Dexter.
The game was tight for the first three quarters with Pioneer leading 9-8 after one quarter and 21-20 at halftime. Each team scored nine points in the third quarter. But Pioneer scored 24 points to Dexter’s six in the final period to pull away.
In the fourth quarter, Sompa scored eight of his 10 points and Pioneer knocked down 13 free throws. The Pioneers made 22 of 35 free-throw attempts in the game. Meanwhile, Dexter only went to the line five times in the game.
Pioneer hosts Lincoln on Tuesday. Dexter plays at Saline on Tuesday.
