Dexter girls pull past determined Neelyville

NEELYVILLE – The Dexter Lady Bearcats went on the road and defeated the Neelyville Lady Tigers Thursday night.

The first quarter was close, with Dexter holding a 15-14 lead. They outscored Neelyville 23-14 in the second, taking a 38-28 halftime lead.

“We knew coming in it was going to be a hard-fought battle,” said Dexter head coach Eric Sitze. “I’m proud of the girls for coming into a tough environment like this one and coming out on top.”

“Dexter was more fired up than us and wanted it more tonight,” said Neelyville head coach Becky Hale.

“Rebounding and defense should be our strength, but it was not tonight,” she said. “They scored every time they touched the ball.”

The Bearcats never relinquished that ten-point lead, holding a 53-43 advantage after three quarters and finishing with the 76-66 victory.

Leading the Bearcats was Allison Turnbo with a game-high 24 points. She was joined by teammates Caitlyn Giles with 18 and Kate Nichols with 15.

“Allison was really good for us tonight,” Sitze said. “She sparked us that first half and got us off to a great start.”

Neelyville’s leading scorers were Parker Ernst with 21 points, Ella Eaker with 12, and Layni Dobbins with 11.

The loss ended a five-game winning streak for the Lady Tigers (12-3) while Dexter (10-5) ended a two-game losing skid.