Dexter Stuns Rival Chelsea

It may sound cliche to say that you can throw records out when it comes to rivalry games, but Friday nights Dexter-Chelsea boys' basketball game proved it to be true as Dexter upset the Bulldogs 71-59.

Dexter entered the contest at 4-16 and Chelsea 16-3, but a hot-shooting Dreadnaughts had all the answers in the big win Friday night.

The Dreadnaughts had given Chelsea fits in the earlier matchup between the two teams in January, but Chelsea was able to rally from an early double-digit deficit to take down Dexter 59-50, but that did not happen Friday night.

Chelsea took a 15-14 lead after one on a late three-pointer by Matt Blanton, but Dexter would get hot in the second.

Dexter hit four straight three-pointers, two each by Jack DeMerell and Evan Haroldson to take a 28-20 lead and force a Chelsea timeout and the Dreadnaughts would hold a 30-25 lead at the half.

Chelsea would get within two early in the second half, but again Dexter answered from outside the arch with three straight triples by Haroldson, Xavier Blumberg, and Garrett Sharp to push the lead to 11, 41-30 and force another Bulldogs timeout.

Dexter would close the third with a 13-6 run and led 45-36 heading to the fourth.

Chelsea would try to fight back with 12 points by Joey Cabana in the fourth, but an and-one by DeMerell and a triple by AJ Vaughn were the dagger as Dexter retook a 13-point lead with just over three minutes left.

"This was the big win we have been searching for down the stretch as we head into March," Coach Jason Rushton said. ""It was great to see all the little things we work on throughout the year come to light in this game."

Haroldson would score 13 in the fourth, including nine of 11 from the free throw line. Dexter finished 13 for 17 from the line in the fourth to seal the win.

Dexter was led by Haroldson with a double-double of 29 points and 11 rebounds.

DeMerell made his presence felt with 13 points and four assists, while Reeves Taylor was strong down low with 10 points and eight rebounds. Blumberg finished with seven points, Sharp and Vaughn and five points each, and Xavier Cook two. 

Cabana led Chelsea with 25 points, while Stephens finished with 22. Drew Blanton chipped in with eight points and Matt Blanton four. 

Dexter wraps up the regular season at home against Ypsilanti and Chelsea travels to Detroit Edison.

Photos by Mike Williamson