Dexter boys’ basketball coach Jason Rushton has seen positive signs from his team all season long despite struggling to win games on a consistent basis. But the steady improvement and strong work ethic is starting to pay off as the Dreadnaughts scored an impressive 72-59 win Friday over Monroe.
“We love the way we are playing and trending right now and look to keep that up for a big game Tuesday against Pioneer,” Rushton said following the win over the Trojans.
Dexter led 17-13 after the first quarter and 32-28 at half in a tight ballgame with Monroe. But the Dreads took over with a 23-13 run in the third quarter to take a 55-41 lead. They were outscored 18-17 in the fourth quarter but the lead was never in doubt as Dexter converted 6 of 8 from the free-throw line in the final period.
Sophomore Jack DeMerell led the Dreadnaughts with a career high 26 points, and also added 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Senior Sammy Koch, who has turned into a great leader and a much needed spark for the Dreadnaughts, had 10 points and 5 steals. Junior Ben Murphy had 12 points and 2 steals and Will Simpson added 6 points and Scott Smith had 5 points.
The Dreadnaughts face a tough challenge on Tuesday as they travel to Pioneer for an SEC Red showdown.