Tiger seniors lead Cape at both ends in rout of Dexter

CAPE GIRARDEAU – Like two ships passing in the night, the varsity girl’s basketball squads at Cape Central and Dexter high schools are heading in opposite directions at the moment, and that became evident early in the second quarter of their game on Thursday at Cape Central.

The Bearcats held a 12-11 margin early in the period after getting offensive production in the opening quarter and limiting Tiger senior shooter Taylor Horton to nary a basket. However, the euphoria was short-lived, as Horton and senior teammate Ki Bogan got rolling in the second quarter and put the game away, eventually winning 65-48.

“Bogan is really good defensively,” fourth-year Dexter coach Eric Sitze said of the Cape guard. “She is just really a good, strong, physical player, who is really quick.”

The Tigers (13-9) “got into us physically,” Sitze continued, as Cape Central outscored the Bearcats 23-7 in the quarter, with many of the baskets coming off Dexter turnovers.

“All of (the Cape players), they got into us physically on defense and their hands are so quick,” Sitze said. “They beat us to loose balls. They were faster and more intense than we were.”

The loss was the fourth in six games for Dexter (12-9), while the Tigers have won six of their last seven games.

“Defensively,” first-year Cape Central coach Aaron Lee said, “we’re doing better. Our communication has definitely improved. The kids have bought into it.”

Lee has preached that “We are going to win on the defensive end of the court,” he said afterward, “and our seniors have stepped up in so many ways.”

Bogan and Horton combined to tie Dexter’s 48 points, with Horton sinking five 3-pointers en route to a team-high 25 points.

“We have been a senior-driven team this year,” Lee said.

So was Dexter until two weeks ago.

The Bearcats lost senior center Caitlin Giles to a torn ACL in her left knee, and Sitze’s team is struggling to find itself at this point.

“We’ve had to move kids around,” Sitze said. “We’ve got three or four kids playing in different roles and different positions on defense.

“It has really been an adjustment.”

Sitze is 21 games into a 26-game season and has to figure out how to make up for the loss of his best post defender, best rebounder, and second-leading scorer.

“We’re three-quarters of the way through our season,” Sitze said, “so their habits are ingrained. We’re trying to break habits and figure out new roles.”

Dexter was more competitive in the second half, as it scored 29 of its 48 points, but the deficit dug during the second quarter proved too much to overcome.

“Our seniors have laid the foundation,” Lee said, “for how Tiger basketball should look in the future.”

Horton had the highlight of the night, as she knocked down a mid-range jumper along the baseline, which was her 1,000th career point.

“I dreamed of this,” Horton said, “but I never thought it would come true. It’s an honor for it to actually come true.”

Cape also got 13 points from freshman post player Sa’Mya Torres, while Bearcat sophomore Kate Nichols had 30 points to lead her team.

Dexter junior Allison Turnbo added 10 points in the loss.

The Bearcats will visit Poplar Bluff (8-12) on Monday at 7:30 p.m.

The Tigers will travel to New Madrid County Central (2-15) on Monday at 6 p.m.