STODDARD TOURNEY: DEXTER TOPS BLOOMFIELD 63-52 TO REACH SEMIS

BLOOMFIELD -- As expected, top-seeded Dexter rolled into the semifinals of the Stoddard County Conference boys basketball tournament by beating host Bloomfield 63-52 Tuesday night.

The Bearcats, who raised their record to 12-1, led 39-18 at halftime and eased to the victory.

Kevin Stafford paced the Bearcats with 16 points. Matt Pruitt and Kevin Hillis added 10 apiece.

Bloomfield, which fell to 2-13, got 19 points from Travis Causey and 12 from Shawn Lloyd. Causey had 13 in the fourth quarter as the Wildcats outscored the Bearcats 22-10.

The two remaining first-round games will be played tonight as Bernie takes on Puxico at 7 p.m. and Richland faces Advance at 8:30.

Also Tuesday, in junior varsity action, Puxico beat Bloomfield 86-46 and Dexter downed Bell City 86-44.

Stoddard County Tournament

(First Round)

DEXTER 63, BLOOMFIELD 52

BLOOMFIELD 8 10 12 22 - 52

DEXTER 16 23 14 10 - 63

BLOOMFIELD (52)

Hyslop 6, Causey 19, Lloyd 12, B. Rogers 7, Williams 4, Rogers 2, Northern 2. FG 23 FT 6-7 F 11 (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none)

DEXTER (63)

Smirth 8, Chatman 4, Stafford 16, Rahm 4, Hillis 10, Pruitt 10, Stone 4, Russel 5, Wagner 2. FG 30 FT 3-8 F 8. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none)