Dexter @ Saline: Recap and 5 Takeaways
Dexter traveled to Saline on Tuesday night looking to ride the momentum of their victory over Ypsilanti. The game took a defensive tone early. Saline made good looks difficult despite a patient Dexter offense. Dexter played Saline tough on the perimeter and pushed Saline out past the three point line when running their offense. The first points came on a Trevor Arico three pointer with less than four minutes remaining in the 1st quarter. The score only reached a 5-5 tie at the end of the 1st. Dexter’s strong perimeter defense, led by Drew Bishop, continued in the second quarter. Saline began to drive to the basket but missed some easy looks at the rim. Dexter began to heat up from deep, hitting 5 2nd quarter three pointers. Bishop, Brady Rosen, Nick Feliccia, and Mario Lucchesi all contributed from deep. Dexter took a 21-10 lead into the half.
The 3rd quarter was best described as the Griffin Yaklich show. He willed Saline back into the game with 10 3rd quarter points. Saline also stepped up defensively with Yaklich and Emmett Turner forcing turnovers. They held Dexter to just 4 third quarter points. Dexter still led at the end of the 3rd quarter, 25-23. Saline was strong on the glass in the 4th quarter, allowing Dexter just one look at the rim per possession. Arico got hot in the last quarter, scoring 7 points. Saline’s Peter Jacobsen hit the go ahead three and Saline never looked back. They rode an efficient offense and good ball handling to a 38-30 win over Dexter.
5 TAKEAWAYS:
Saline’s defense continues to be elite.
The Hornets pressure the ball and don’t give easy looks at the rim. They create turnovers and cause chaos for their opponents. Emmett Turner’s gritty style spills over to his teammates. Saline has held its last two opponents to a combined 62 points.
Dexter has a lot of shooters.
Dexter has a handful of players that can fill it up from the three point line. Rosen, Bishop, Lucchesi, and Feliccia are all dangerous. They only scored 30 points against Saline but that was more a result of the Hornets stellar defense.
Dexter plays solid perimeter defense.
Drew Bishop leads the way for the Dreadnaughts. They are a frustrating team to play, especially for a team that relies on outside shooting. Dexter closes out on shooters quickly and gets a hand in their face.
Saline was tough on the glass.
The Hornets are not a big team and aren’t necessarily known for their rebounding, but against Dexter they were solid. On the defensive end, they allowed Dexter limited opportunities. It was usually one shot and done. This was big since Dexter can change the game from deep.
Saline and Dexter will be dangerous matchups come the state playoffs.
Both teams are strong defensively and can make their opponents play at their pace. Dexter and Saline have multiple shooters that can spark runs at any time in a game. Dexter’s Tim Cain and Saline’s Jake Fosdick are both very good young coaches who have an influence on the game.