Central tops Dexter 78-61 behind Wilks' triple-double

DEXTER, Mo. -- If the Dexter Bearcats had any doubts that Darnell Wilks was one of Southeast Missouri's best players, they don't after Friday.

Wilks, a 6-foot-8 junior who has drawn interest from schools such as Wake Forest and Kansas State, finished with a triple-double -- 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists -- to lead Central to a 78-61 win over the Bearcats on senior night.

Whenever Wilks wasn't hurting Dexter (10-15, 2-7 SEMO Conference) with his shooting, he was burning them with his passing and rebounding.

"I just try to find the open man," Wilks said. "I knew that in the high post when I took a dribble that at least two or three men would try and double-team or triple-team me. When [they] did, David Deisher would be open in the post. On the rebounds, I just tried to go after every one.

"Scoring, I just do that naturally."

Central (14-10, 3-6) used its depth and up-tempo game to wear the Bearcats down.

Dexter trailed 61-54 after Aaron Jackson's basket with 7:05 left in the game, but the Tigers went on an 8-0 run to push the lead to 15 and led by double figures the rest of the evening.

"I thought they got a little tired," Central coach Derek McCord said. "Our bench might be a little bit deeper than theirs, but [coach] Eric [Sitze] does a good job with them."

Dexter led 22-20 in the second quarter before Jajuan Bell and Adrian Cox put the Tigers ahead and on their way to a 44-33 halftime lead.

Cox scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half. Also in double figures for Central were Deisher with 17 points and Bell with 15 points, including three 3-pointers. Jeremy Kimble had seven points and 10 rebounds.

CENRAL 78, DEXTER 61

Dexter 19 14 19 9 -- 61

Central 18 26 15 19 -- 78

DEXTER (61) -- Aaron Jackson 14, Derreck Chamberalin 6, Eric Reinhardt 16, Cole Smith 4, Andrew Stuever 9, Drew Satterfield 12. FG 27, FT 3-8, F 15 (3-pointers: Reinhart 2, Jackson 1, Stuever 1. Fouled out: none).

CENTRAL (78) -- Adrian Cox 13, Jajuan Bell 15, Darnell Wilks 19, Jeremy Kimble 7, Garrett Ozbun 7, David Deisher 17. FG 26, FT 14-20, F 12 (3-pointers: Bell 3, Cox 1. Fouled out: Kimble)

JV -- Central 64-60.