Dexter pulls away from Central in the fourth quarter

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DEXTER — During the third quarter of a Jan. 17 game between Dexter Regional High School and Central High School of Corinth, the two teams traded the lead on four separate occasions. The greater point total would again vary during the opening minutes of the fourth quarter before Tigers pulled away for good to win by the final score of 58-52 in the battle of nearby teams fighting for playoff positioning.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    TWO AGAINST ONE — Dexter senior Dustin Sirabella (50) and junior Bailey Spack (34) contest a shot by Central sophomore Jordan Smith during a Jan. 17 game at Ed Guiski Gymnasium. Smith would lead the game with 21 points, but the Tigers players combined for more than the Red Devils as Dexter won 58-52.

    A basket by Central sophomore Kyle Ham put his team ahead 41-40 in the first half minute of the fourth. On the ensuing possession Dexter junior Bailey Spack countered with a shot of his own to put the Tigers ahead 42-41.
    Ham, who finished second on the Red Devil scoring sheet with 16 points, then had two more as once again Central took the lead, this time at 43-42. With just over a minute having passed, the Red Devils saw the team’s last lead of the contest as Tiger senior Trevor Fogarty put his team on top yet again, 44-43, with two of his team-high 19 and trailing only the 21 picked up by Central sophomore Jordn Smith.
    After a stop on defense, Fogarty made another basket to give his team a 46-43 advantage right before a Central 60-second timeout. From there three Dexter field goals sandwiched around only two free throws for Central put the home team ahead 52-45 with just over four minutes to go.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    MAKING THE DEVILS SEE RED LATE — Dexter senior Ethyn Gould dribbles toward Central sophomore Kyle Ham during the Jan. 17 game. Gould and a pair of teammates reached double figures in helping the Tigers outscore the Red Devils 18-13 in the fourth quarter.

    Looking to maintain the lead and limit the opportunities for the opposition, the Dexter five on the floor — Fogarty, Spack, seniors Ethyn Gould and Dustin Sirabella and junior Matt Bartlett — passed around the perimeter after Fogarty stole the ball on a Red Devil possession. A 30-second timeout got the team out of a pinch, and soon Central began to reach in attempt to force a turnover.
    The Red Devils had a pair of fouls to give before No. 7 to put the Tigers in the bonus, and following a miss on the first shot of a 1-and-1 situation Central sophomore Andrew Prescott sank a 3-pointer to put the team within four at 52-48.
    Dexter would end up losing the ball out of bounds to give it back to the Red Devils, but Spack snagged the rebound after the Central miss. The Red Devils then did likewise after a Dexter foul shot bounced off the rim, but Fogarty boxed out to come up with the ball at the other end of the court.
    Central opted to foul to stop the clock, and the team’s ninth foul turned out to be a small price to pay as the first of the 1-and-1 opportunity for Dexter was no good with 67 seconds remaining.
    The team then quickly ran up the court, but the basketball slipped out of Central’s possession and crossed the line to turn over for the Tigers. The Red Devils pressed the in-bounds play as Fogarty got the ball and was quickly tied up.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    AS FAST AS THE SPEED OF WHITE — Freshman Zachary White looks to pass the ball into the post while behind guarded by Central freshman Andrew Speed.

    The official ruled the foul was intentional, as the defender was determined to not be going for the ball, and Fogarty was awarded a trip to the free throw line on the technical foul call. The ball swished directly into the netting on the first and then second shots as Fogarty put his team ahead by six points at 54-48.
    Spack then in-bounded successfully to Gould and Gould passed right back as Spack was fouled. He then converted his second foul shot to put the Tigers ahead, 55-48.
    Central proceeded to miss a pair of attempts from the floor, including one from behind the 3-point line, and after the second try Fogarty corralled the rebound. He was fouled with 27 seconds left on the clock and made both shots of the double bonus to essentially clinch the game with the score 57-48. Since regaining the lead for the final time Dexter went on a 15-5 run, outscoring the Red Devils in the entire fourth quarter 18-13.
    The win gave Dexter a sweep in 2013-14 against the fellow Penobscot County school, as the Tigers earned a 50-49 road victory on Dec. 18. The team improved to 6-5 and stood at seventh place in the Class C East Heal Point standings after Jan. 17, with the 5-7 Red Devils right behind in eighth place near or at the two-thirds completion mark of the season.
    Next on the schedule for the Tigers is a Jan. 24 contest vs. Bucksport High School (6-6 as of presstime). Dexter lost at Bucksport, 52-46, on Jan. 3.