Byron takes control from start, sends Dixon to its first loss

DIXON – A slow start doomed Dixon in the semifinals of its own holiday tournament on Friday night at Lancaster Gym.

The Duchesses did not make a field goal in the first half, and never recovered from a double-digit halftime deficit in a 50-33 loss to Byron.

[ Photos from Dixon vs. Byron girls basketball ]

The Tigers (13-0) advance to Saturday’s title game against BNC rival Stillman Valley, while Dixon (14-1) will take on Rock River rival Sterling for third place after its first loss of the season.

“We definitely started off slow, not how we wanted to start, but I still have a lot of belief in us and what we can do this season,” Dixon senior forward Hallie Williamson said. “This is just one little setback, and I think we’ll learn a lot from it.”

The game featured tough defense by both teams, and the low-scoring start was no surprise to Byron coach Eric Yerly.

“When Byron and Dixon play, it’s usually the first one that gets to 40 will win, because both teams are such good defensive teams,” he said. “Luke [Ravlin] is a great coach, one of the best in northern Illinois, and they’ll be patient – and we’ll be patient – and it just shortens the game.”

Byron led 7-2 after the first quarter, then Macy Groharing got going in the second. She scored 10 of her game-high 18 points in the period, including a 3-pointer and a three-point play in the final two minutes to make it a 20-6 margin at halftime.

The Tigers held the Duchesses to 0-for-8 shooting and forced nine turnovers in the first 16 minutes. Dixon shot 6 for 10 from the free-throw line to account for all of their points.

“I think it was all on our defensive end,” Groharing said. “Our main focus was their post; we always struggle with rebounding and we’re not a big team, so it’s always us on the defensive side helping in on the post – and once we get the defense going, the offense flows easily.”

“We’ve been playing more man [defense] this year than we usually have, and I think it’s made our zone better,” Yerly added. “I give the kids credit, they played hard for four quarters.”

Groharing and Malia Morton led the way in the second half, and the Tigers’ lead never dipped below double-digits. Morton finished with nine points – all in the second half – to go with six rebounds, three steals, an assist and a blocked shot, while Groharing added four rebounds, four steals and an assist to her 18 points.

Brynn Green added eight points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, Aubrie Fuller scored six points, and nine different Tigers recorded a stat in the win.

“We were looking for our mismatches,” Groharing said. “Malia was a great mismatch, just way faster than a lot of players out there, so just it was just using her mismatch to allow for other players to get open when she drove in and the other defenders had to help on her.”

Trailing 32-12 with 2:05 to play in the third quarter, Morgan Hargrave hit a 3 and Addy Lohse added a three-point play for Dixon, then Hargrave had a putback and hit another 3 after a Reese Dambman bucket to get within 44-32 with 3:04 remaining.

But the Duchesses got no closer, and both teams emptied their benches for the final two minutes.

Williamson led the Duchesses with 12 points, seven rebounds and a steal, and Hargrave had 11 points and three rebounds. Dambman (two points, two assists), Ahmyrie McGowan (two points, two assists, one steal) and Makenzie Toms each grabbed four boards, and Lohse chipped in five points and an assist.

“We talked about just taking this as an experience, learning from it, and knowing that the next game is going to be even harder with Sterling,” Williamson said. “So this is just one little setback, and we can grow from it.”