Menley, Nichols pace Dexter GBB in 71-47 win over Saxony Lutheran

JACKSON — For Dexter girls’ basketball, sophomore Mauriona Menley and senior Kate Nichols form quite the deadly duo.

And on a night where the Lady Bearcats played close to their efficient best, there was no surprise when the tandem stole the spotlight.

Nichols and Menley each scored a game-high 24 points to lead Dexter past Saxony Lutheran 71-47 on Monday night at Saxony Lutheran High School.

“They’re a pretty good guard/forward duo for us,” head coach Eric Sitze said. “Mo does a good job scoring inside for us, and Kate scores inside too. So, they both get to the rim really well and they do a good job of finishing around the rim. They had a real good night tonight.”

Anchored by the two feature performers, the Lady Bearcats (8-10) had an overwhelming advantage in rebounding and also held a firm edge in second-chance points.

Sophomore Brooklyn Goodman also chipped in with a huge night from long range after knocking down four 3-pointers for 12 combined points.

“Games like this definitely boost our energy and our morale,” Menley said. “It helps us grow stronger and then leads us to be more aggressive.”

That aggressiveness was on full display from start to finish as Dexter led by double digits in the final three quarters en route to winning three of its last four.

After holding a 21-13 advantage at the end of the first quarter, the Lady Bearcats stretched their lead to 13 when senior Febe Worley drained a corner 3 with 3:30 to go in the half. Dexter entered the locker room with 37-21 lead, with Nichols and Menley combining for 26 at the break.

The Lady Bearcats kept their foot on the gas in the second half, as Nichols’ slick pull-up jumper and Worley’s long-distance 3 from the top of the key extended the lead to 47-28 to essentially put things out of reach.

The highlight of the game came at the end of the third quarter when Menley quickly received an inbound pass before sinking a half-court shot as time expired.

“At first I wasn't looking at the time,” Menley said. “Then coach side started yelling, so I look up and there's like two seconds left. I started dribbling and just threw it up there.

“I feel like every game I get more aggressive and I try to score more because I know that I have to have a bigger lead this year.”

As for Nichols, the Mineral Area College commit continued to make a handful of dazzling highlight reel plays and reassert herself as one of the area’s top players. An underclassman like Menley said that she admires her teammate’s leadership and is fueled by her competitive nature every time they step on the court.

“She helps add to my aggression,” Menley said. “She helps me know that I can just take the moment in and I have to be strong every time. She really helps keep our energy up, too.”

Kenzie Keys scored a team-high 16 points, while Emmalee Mueller added 15 for Saxony Lutheran (3-15), whose losing streak slid to nine games — the program’s longest since the 2011-12 season.

Three players were recognized for the Crusaders on Senior Night on Monday — Camille Richey, Faith Dreyer and Timora Criddle. Richey scored six points, while Dreyer and Criddle tallied five and two, respectively.

Looking ahead, Dexter gets a week off before it returns to its home court against Notre Dame next Monday, Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m. Saxony Lutheran will look to get back on track when the Crusaders take on Notre Dame this Friday at 6 p.m.