After suffering their first loss of the season to South Lyon East, the Dexter girls’ basketball team returned to the floor and the win column with a 36-34 victory over rival Chelsea on Friday night. It was a good early season test for the Dreadnaughts, who improved to 5-1 on the young season.
Dexter used a big third quarter to pull away and then held on at the end making some big plays at big times to hold off the Bulldogs.
“At the end of the game we took care of the ball and made some critical free throws,” said Dexter Coach Lauren Thompson. “Chelsea is an incredible team with top-notch talent. My hope is that this game will give my players confidence that they can play with anyone when they play as a team and give maximum effort.”
Both teams scored seven points in the first quarter and Dexter led 15-14 at halftime. Five different players scored in the third quarter to help the Dreads go on a 15-9 run and take a 30-23 lead into the final quarter. The Dreadnaughts led by as many as 10 points in the second half before Chelsea began to chip away at the lead.
Thompson talked about playing as a team and the Dreadnaughts did exactly that against the talented Bulldogs. Six different players reached the scoring sheet with five scoring five or more points.
Heidi Fuchs knocked down some big free throws in the fourth quarter and finished with a team-high nine points. Addison Chase and Alena Blumberg each scored seven, Alyssa Gullekson scored six and Kendall Cabana scored five, including a free throw in the fourth quarter. Harper Backus scored two in a game where every point counted.
The Dreadnaughts play in the Michigan Hardwood Classic at Romulus HS at 11 a.m. on Dec. 28 against Blissfield.
