Big Second Half Leads Dexter past Rival Chelsea

The Dexter basketball team used a big second half to avenge and early season loss after beating rival Chelsea 61-49 Friday night.

There is no love lost between the two schools, but it was a relatively clean game between the two bitter rivals.

The teams went back-and-forth in the opening quarter when a Buck Allen triple at the buzzer gave the Bulldogs an 11-9 lead.

The game was close throughout the second, but a Drew Blanton lay-in gave Chelsea a 25-19 lead at the break.

Dexter came out strong in the second half with Scott Smith scoring six of the first seven points and the Dreads going on a 9-0 run to take a 28-25 lead.

Smith scored eight and Ben Murphy seven in the third when the Dreadnaughts went on a 20-9 run to take a 39-34 lead heading to the fourth.

Chelsea would get no closer than five points in the fourth with the Dreadnaughts sealing the win at the line in the final two minutes.

Smith finished with 15 points each to lead Dexter.

Murphy and Jack DeMerell scored 13 each, William Simpson added 11 points, Gabe Rychener chipped in with seven and Owen Winder four.

Dexter improved to 12-9 overall. They host Saline in the D1 district opener Monday night at 7:00 PM.

Allen led the Bulldogs with 15 points.

Blanton finished with 13 and Beckett Boos 13. Wyatt Matusik chipped in with five points, Will McCalla three

Chelsea fell to 14-8 overall. They travel to Brooklyn to take on Cascades Conference runner-up Columbia Central (18-4) in the D2 district semifinals Wednesday night at 7:00 PM.