Dexter Rolls Past Saline in D1 District Opener

The Dexter basketball team wasted no time to take control of the D1 district opener against Saline Monday night.

The Dreadnaughts jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead with the help of triples by Ben Murphy and Jack DeMerell.

The lead should have been bigger for Dexter, but the Dreads missed several easy baskets underneath to keep Saline in it.

DeMerell hit a triple in the final minute to give Dexter a 12-4 lead after one.

The second quarter was all Dexter with Saline going scoreless for nearly seven minutes before scoring with just over a minute left in the second.

Dexter outscored the Hornets 13-5 in the quarter to take a 25-9 lead into halftime.

The Saline offense finally got going in the third with back-to-back triples by Noah Kronberg and Leo Sotiropoulos, but Dexter went on a big run to end the third with the help of right points by Scott Smith to take a 47-23 lead after three.

The Hornets tried to get back into it in the fourth with the help of seven points by Chris Cotuna and six by Kronberg, but it wasn’t enough as the Dreadnaughts cruised to the win.

Dexter was led by Murphy with 15 points.

DeMerell finished with 12 and Smith ten. Haden Harm added nine points for the Dreads, while William Simpson, Owen Winder, and Andrew Boydston scored four each for Dexter, while Gabe Rychener and Sam Cormier added one each.

Saline was led by Chris Cotuna with 11.

Noah Kronberg added nine and Brady Costigan with seven, while Sotiropoulos chipped in with five, and Jack McFarlane two.

It was a rough year for Saline with just one returner from last season and no seniors on the squad. The Hornets finish 6-17 overall on the season.

The Dreadnaughts improves to 13-9 overall and advances to the district semifinals to face Ann Arbor Huron Wednesday night at 5:30 PM at Dexter.