DEXTER- Megan Peach scored her 1000 career point with 6:07 remaining in the first quarter in a 48-32 Dexter win over Stearns on Wednesday night. Peach didn’t stop there. She recorded 32 points, 17 rebounds, five blocks, two assists, and two steals as the Tigers knocked off the previously undefeated Minutemen.
In her last regular season game, Peach may have turned in her most impressive performance of them all. She scored at least six points in every quarter, including 10 in the third quarter as the Tigers held a 32-22 lead with eight minutes to play.
“She (Peach) took her time, got settled in. At times she rushed this season, just because she knows a lot of eyeballs are on her,”Dexter coach Jody Grant said. “She has done a better job the last part of the season being more relaxed. She knows she is going to get a lot of attention. If she takes her time, she is going to get decent looks.”
Dexter (12-6) may be playing their best at the perfect time. The Tigers will start the tournament, winners of five of the last six. They will enter the class C tournament as the number five seed. They will host Schenck, Bucksport, or PVHS in a preliminary round game on Tuesday, February 14th. Knocking off the number one team in class C means a lot for the Tigers, especially on senior night, but the focus will shift to the second season starting tomorrow.
“I told them to be excited and enjoy this. We can’t let this be the last great moment of our season. We want to try keep getting better and better. We can’t think we won anything. We won one game and it was against a very very good team,”Grant said. “They (Stearns) are fantastic. They are as good as anybody we have played against in the last few years. It is still only one game. It doesn’t mean anymore. It was great for us on senior night. We are going to come back tomorrow, Friday, and Monday, and prepare for whoever we are going to play next week.”
The big night for the Tigers started with an emotional senior night presentation, followed by Peach getting her 1000 career point, under two minutes into the contest. Peach gives credit to her teammates she has had the last four years in helping reach the milestone.
“To be very honest with you, I think if you are a guard, it is really awesome because you probably created for yourself,”Peach said. “I have played with ridiculously great players that got me the ball. It is really a testament to all the great players I have played with. It is cool, but it took everybody, not just me.”
Peach and Kayli Cunningham scored seven points each in the fourth quarter as the Tigers sealed the victory. Cunningham, scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds as her and Peach combined for 45 points and 22 rebounds.
“She (Cunningham) is a tough matchup. She can play a little outside and a little inside,”Grant said. “I am really happy for her to play as well as she did.”
The amazing offensive numbers may have overshadowed the defense played by Abby Webber. It didn’t go unnoticed in the Dexter locker room. Emma Alley had a very solid game with 19 points, 10 rebounds, five steals, and four assists. Webber made it difficult on the Stearns 1000 point scorer all night.
“Emma (Alley) is a great player, she has had a great senior year. We just tried to make it difficult for her, she is going to score, just make it difficult,”Grant said. “Abby (Webber) doesn’t know any differently than to work. That is what that girl is like, she is like a robot inside her skin. She doesn’t know how to not work at anything she does. She is just a tough nosed, scrappy kind of kid. I couldn’t be any happier for her and all those other seniors, for their last regular season game to play at this level.”
Peach added, “I made easy layups, but if Abby (Webber) doesn’t do what she did to guard Emma (Alley), we don’t win. Emma is great, Abby had to work hard the entire game. If she doesn’t do that, we don’t win that game.”
Julia Stanley recorded four points and three rebounds for the Minutemen. Sidney Farquhar made a first quarter three pointer. Katherine Alley, Abby Russell, and Mackenzie Carter chipped in with two points each. Stearns (17-1) will enter the class C tournament as the number one seed. They will play a quarterfinal game at the Cross Insurance Center on Tuesday, February 21st.
Kaylee Deering chipped in with two points, while Becca Batron had one for the Tigers. Ashley Reynolds had four steals, three rebounds, and two assists. Kaitlyn Webber had four rebounds, while Abby Webber recorded three assists and two steals.
Dexter out rebounded the Minutemen 33-25. Stearns shot 4-14 from the free throw line, while the Tigers shot 8-12.
