Tigers ring in the New Year with win over Penobscot Valley
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
DEXTER — The boys basketball teams from Dexter Regional High School and Penobscot Valley High School of Howland entered the Jan. 2 matinee contest — a game pushed back from the evening of Dec. 29 on account of a storm — with matching 4-2 records and holding consecutive ninth and 10th positions in the Class C North Heal Point Standings. Once the squads got on the court the parity ended.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
STARTING 2016 OFF STRONG — Dexter junior Brayden Miller goes up for two of his game-high 15 points at the conclusion of the third quarter during the Tigers’ 49-28 victory vs. Penobscot Valley of Howland on Jan. 2. Miller has a clear path to the hoop over Howler junior Jaden Foster (30) and sophomore Jonathan Littlefield (21). Dexter improved to 5-2 with the win and gave Penobscot Valley (4-3) the team’s third consecutive defeat.
The Tigers (who improved to 5-2 with the win and handed the 4-3 Howlers the team’s third loss in a row) jumped out to a 14-3 lead at the end of the first quarter. The home team took advantage of about a dozen Penobscot Valley turnovers and held the opposition to only a trio of foul shots, building a double-digit lead the team would hold for nearly all of the remaining duration of play in the 49-28 victory.
Dexter, which features a roster devoid of any seniors, used a balanced scoring attack in the opening quarter as four of the five starters recorded points. Juniors Brayden Miller and Zachary White both tallied five points in the first eight minutes — each had a pair of field goals and one free throw — to account for 10 of the 14 points. Miller finished with a game-high 15 points and White was not too far behind with 11 of his own.
While not an 11-point advantage, the third quarter saw the Tigers nearly double the output of the opposition at 15-8. Miller and White again led the way with six and four points respectively. Junior CJ Cooper connected from beyond the 3-point line in the session, for a portion of his 11 points to become the third Tiger to reach double figures — in contrast to just one for Penobscot Valley as junior Levi Thompson recorded 10 points.
The 28 points for the Howlers — who are back up in Class C under the new five-class system — was the fewest for the team in 2015-16. In four of the five wins for the Tigers the team has held its opponent to 28 points or fewer with the other three totals being 27, 27 and 22.
Dexter is scheduled to close the regular season with a game at Howland on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
UNDERNEATH THE BASKET — Junior CJ Cooper of Dexter scored back-to-back baskets early in the second quarter on Saturday afternoon. Cooper finished with 11 points to join a pair of teammates in reaching double-figures.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
COMING THROUGH! — Junior Zachary White splits the defense in the lane during Dexter’s first game of the 2016 vs. Penobscot Valley. Looking on is sophomore Joshua Simcock.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Dexter 49, Penobscot 28
PEN 3 9 8 8 | 28 DEX 14 9 15 11 | 49
Dexter: Miller 15, White 11, Cooper 11, Bourdeau 3, Perkins 3,
Campbell 2, Simcock 2 and Strauch 2.
Penobscot: Thompson 10, Spencer 9, Priest 3, Littlefield 2, Whitten 2 and Wood 2.
Records: Dexter 5-2, Penobscot 4-3.