Dixon grinds out win, snaps losing skid at Rock Island

ROCK ISLAND – After falling short in its past three games to a trio of strong opponents to end 2024, the Dixon girls basketball team was looking for a win by any means necessary.

Pairing its defensive effort with some timely baskets in the second half, the Duchesses picked up a 41-31 win Monday night against Rock Island.

Hallie Williamson’s game-high 15 points paced Dixon (15-3).

“We just had to grit it out,” Dixon coach Luke Ravlin said. “It’s a tough place to play. They’re definitely aggressive and physical, and we stepped up and took care of that task, and I was proud of the kids for that.”

Dixon overcame 18 turnovers in the win, forcing 15 giveaways on the other side. Dixon took a 9-2 lead in the first quarter and was able to keep the Rocks (7-10) at bay until the end.

The Duchesses led 20-14 at halftime and 30-22 after three quarters before Williamson closed the final frame with six points. A 3-pointer from Reese Dambman (six points) also helped push the game out of reach.

Ravlin said the team had good effort in its past few games, but they just didn’t get the job done. It wasn’t pretty Monday, but the Duchesses were able to finish off their first win in 11 days.

“We just felt like coming out here tonight and finishing a game would really be beneficial for us, and we did that,” Ravlin said. “We have to find ways to defend together and play together, and I thought we did that.”

The Rocks kept Williamson from scoring inside after the first eight minutes, holding her to three points in the middle two quarters. But the Lincoln University (Missouri) recruit finished strong after Addy Lohse had four points in the second quarter off the bench and Ahmyrie McGowan (six points) also made winning plays, finishing with 14 rebounds and a couple of blocks.

Williamson said it felt good to get a win after the three-game slide. Dixon climbed to the top of the Class 3A Associated Press poll after an undefeated start before the holiday break.

“This is really motivating,” she said, “and shows that we can prove ourselves even if we lose a couple games in a row.”

Williamson said the past few losses were a learning experience.

“I think we learned that we just need to play together more and be more patient and just work hard in practice,” she said. “Knowing how we practice is how we play, so just translating that.”

Even when the shots weren’t falling, Dixon’s defense helped keep the game in its favor.

“It’s not always about the points,” Williamson said. “It’s just getting stops, and it brings up the energy, too. When you’re working hard, you get stops.”

Offensively, Williamson said being patient with the ball will help moving forward.

“Just working on working together as a team,” she said, “and hitting those shots.”

Up next for Dixon is a Big Northern Conference matchup with Rockford Lutheran (11-5, 2-0) on Saturday at home.

“That will be a big one,” Ravlin said.