Kristen Patrick (30) of St. Aloysius is guarded by Dexter’s Carmiel Gamble in the Lady Flashes’ 46-32 division loss. The Flashes lost, 55-42. (The Vicksburg Post/PAT SHANNAHAN)

[01/08/01] Dexter extended the season of giving Friday night against St. Aloysius, but the Lady Flashes returned the Lady Bulldogs’ gifts.

St. Al (7-8, 3-4 Division 7-1A) stayed with Dexter (14-7, 3-0) most of the way, but failed to hit a field goal in the fourth quarter and made only 18 of 35 free throws in a 46-32 loss.

“A lot of the layoff showed too. We just don’t quite have our legs under us yet,” Hayden said, adding that the three-week holiday break contributed to his team’s problems. “The effort was still there, but I think by the time they got to the basket, the tanks were on empty.”

Dexter opened a lead late in the first quarter when St. Al’s Mollie Richards went to the bench with three fouls and never trailed again, despite shooting just 36 percent.

With Richards out, Dexter went on a 7-0 run and kept St. Al off the scoreboard for nearly six minutes. St. Al’s shooting woes the Lady Flashes were 7-for-28 from the field and 33 turnovers kept it from making a dent in the deficit.

“… Mollie and Kristen (Patrick), they are the glue to our foundation. When they’re out there, we are a completely different team,” Hayden said. “When one piece of the puzzle falls out, it’s hard.”

Richards finished with 15 points to lead St. Al, while Patrick had six points and five steals and Danielle Klaus had nine rebounds.

Dexter’s Carmiel Gamble had 18 points, eight rebounds, six blocked shots and five steals.

(B) Dexter 55, St. Al 42

Dexter started fast, weathered a St. Al rally midway through the game and finished with just enough to hold off the Flashes.

Four Dexter starters scored in double figures. Nic Mark led with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Clay Simmons scored 12 of his team-high 15 points in the second half and also grabbed eight rebounds to pace St. Al (4-11, 2-5 Division 7-1A). Victor Segers hit four 3-pointers, all in the first half, to finish with 12 points and Matt Horn added seven.

“That was probably the best basketball we’ve played all year,” Hayden said. “Dexter’s got a very athletic team … but we played very disciplined basketball … .”

Dexter jumped out to a 14-3 lead in the first four minutes, but St. Al rallied back behind a flurry of 3-pointers. The Flashes connected on 4 of 8 attempts in the first quarter to cut the deficit to 18-14.

But Dexter (9-8, 3-0), which had started off in a zone defense to prevent the Flashes from pounding the ball inside, switched to man-to-man when the 3s started falling.

“When we’re in that zone, we’re strong, with the three big men, but we’re real slow,” Dexter coach Steve Fortenberry said. “Not many teams shoot as good as they did.”

The Bulldogs were able to push the lead to 31-22 at halftime, and although the Flashes kept the margin around 10 points the entire second half, they were never able to get it close enough to make a serious run, either.

St. Al was 6-for-11 from 3-point range in the first half, but just 1-for-6 in the second.

“We just don’t have the inside power, so we’ve got to thrive on that,” Hayden said. “I saw a lot of positives even though the score doesn’t reflect it.”