2-15-2023 10:39am

Saline Routs Dexter to Stay Tied Atop SEC Red

The Saline girls' basketball team took a big step toward a SEC Red title with a big road win at Dexter Tuesday night.

Unlike the first meeting between the two that went down to the wire, Tuesday night the Hornets took a commanding first quarter lead and never looked back in a 49-29 rout at Dexter.

The win kept Saline tied with Bedford for the top spot in the SEC Red with two games remaining for both.

Dexter could get nothing going offensively early, while the Hornets were hot from the start as Saline jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead just over two minutes into the game forcing a Dreads timeout.

The lead grew to 11-0 on a triple by Kate Stemmer before Dexter finally got on the board on a steal and lay-in by Chloe Perry and Saline would lead 13-2 after one quarter.

The Dreadnaughts could not buy a basket in the second and the Hornets Hadley Griffin hit three triples in the quarter to push the Saline lead to 27-2. Dexter finally found its footing late in the second with a triple by Perry and an Alena Blumberg basket to cut the lead to 27-7 at the half.

The Dexter offense clicked in the third thanks to a pair of triples by Heidi Fuchs and got with in 10, 30-20 but a Kadyn Maida drove to the basket for a lay-in to stop the Dreads run and Saline held a 33-22 lead after three.

The Hornets put any chance of a Dexter rally to rest early in the fourth with Anna Hesse hitting a pair of three-pointers and a triple by Keira Roehm to quickly push the Saline lead back to 18, 42-24 and would cruise the rest of the way.

Stemmer had a big all-around night for Saline with 11 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals.

Griffin sparked the Hornets, scoring all 11 of her points in the first half when Saline jumped out the early lead, while Roehm added 11 points.

Hesse was a force down low for Saline with seven points and grabbed 12 rebounds and had two blocks. Taylor Kangas finished with five points and Maida four.

Perry led Dexter with nine points. Blumberg added seven points, Fuchs six, Addison Chase five, and Alyssa Gullekson two.

The win was not only big in the standings for the Hornets, but was coach Leigh Ann Roehm's 100th of her six-year coaching career at Saline.

"After games, somehow a tradition has been set that they give coaches “wins.” I don’t feel like that at all," Roehm said. "I think we got 100 program wins tonight. This milestone is a result of every player, Coach, and parent that has bought in, put in the work, and built the culture. Every single one of those people should hold stake in the 100 wins. We earned those wins by building a program, and I hope everyone celebrates it. These wins are ours, not mine."

Saline will be at home for its final two games to try to clinch the Red title. They host Lincoln Friday night and rival Pioneer in the SEC Red finale Tuesday.

Dexter will be on the road for its final two games. The Dreads travel to Monroe Friday night and close out league play at Lincoln Tuesday.