Boys basketball: Dixon spreads the wealth in win over Plano

DIXON – A hot second quarter from the perimeter provided all the cushion Dixon needed Wednesday against Plano.

The Dukes hit eight 3-pointers in the first half, including five in the second quarter, to build a double-digit lead in a 57-44 win over the Reapers in a nonconference game at Lancaster Gym.

“Once somebody starts hitting shots, everybody else feeds off of it, gains confidence and starts knocking them down,” Dixon junior Cullen Shaner said. “We knew they were a good team and we had to step up and make our plays on offense, but also on the defensive end. It’s good that we have so many guys who can help us win games.”

[ Photos from Dixon vs. Plano boys basketball ]

Shaner hit a 3 in each quarter, Eli Davidson had two of his three 3s in the second quarter, and Mason Weigle and Austin Hicks each hit a pair of 3s in the first half as Dixon (7-0) shot 8 for 15 from deep before the break.

Dixon also assisted on all 11 of it first-half field goals and finished the game with 18 assists on 20 made baskets.

“That comes down to our chemistry, and it stems from off the court. We bring that family bond, that chemistry onto the court,” Davidson said. “We don’t look up at the scoreboard and say, ‘Oh, I’ve got seven points, you’ve got nine points,’ it’s all about ‘You’ve got the better shot than me right now, so I’m going to swing the ball to you and you’re going to make it.’ I’ve got trust in our guys that we’re all going to hit our shots.”

Leading 11-8, Dixon’s Brady Feit scored and Weigle knocked down a 3. After Plano baskets by Armando Martinez and Isaiah Martinez to end the first quarter and start the second, Davidson came off the bench and nailed two 3s in a span of 1:20, sandwiched around a Shaner 3 off an inbounds play, for a 25-12 lead. Hicks and Weigle each hit a 3 in the final 3:20 for a 31-14 margin at the break.

The Dukes, who committed only two turnovers in the first half, also turned up the defense during the second-quarter surge. Plano (3-4) shot 2 for 12 in the quarter for four points and finished the first half with 12 turnovers.

“I think we were all pretty disappointed at halftime with the way we played in the first half. Dixon’s playing unbelievable right now. They’re just shooting the ball really well, and we were just a step behind,” Plano coach Kyle Kee said. “We had an emotional game [Tuesday] night against Sandwich, and we just didn’t bring it in the first half. Then it seemed like we made that run there in the second half, and then all of a sudden we lose a guy and they hit a shot.

“They’re tough to match up against, they’ve got shooters all over the court and a really good player inside. I think we’re really far away from where we can be, and if we keep fighting like we have been, we’ll get there. We’ve got to figure some things out, but when a team’s playing like that, it’s tough.”

The Reapers cut the deficit to nine on a couple of occasions in the third quarter, but Dixon answered each time. Bryce Feit’s putback with 3:16 left in the third was the first unassisted basket by the Dukes, and Davidson’s 3 and Hick’s driving layup made it 45-31 late in the quarter.

Plano got a basket from Eric Cano to end the third, then cut the deficit to 45-35 on Alijah Johnson’s putback to open the fourth. But Harrington scored inside, then converted a three-point play before Shaner hit his final 3 of the game to push the lead back to 53-35 with 4:37 to play.

One last 3 from Bryce Feit made it 57-38 with 2:35 remaining, and both teams emptied their benches.

Harrington had 12 points and three rebounds, and Shaner added 12 points and seven assists for the Dukes. Hicks had nine points and three assists; Bryce Feit finished with seven points, six rebounds and two steals; and Weigle chipped in six points and three assists. Davidson provided a spark off the bench with nine points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals.

“That’s where coach has us right now in the lineup, and that’s our job to go in and do our part,” Davidson said. “If that’s coming off the bench and hitting a shot or playing tough defense, it’s just providing a different look that they haven’t seen from our starters. New personnel comes in and they don’t really know what to expect, and if you make a play, it shows them that we’re a deep team and provides another threat for us. Whatever our job is, we try and do it, and our guys off the bench, we try to come in and provide that spark.”

Isaiah Martinez led the Reapers with 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, while Davione Stamps hit a pair of 3s and finished with seven points and three assists. Armando Martinez scored six points and grabbed four rebounds. Alijah Johnson chipped in four points and three assists.

“It was the whole team contributing tonight,” said Isaiah Martinez, Plano’s 6-foot-10 junior center who is back after missing all of last season with an injury. “I really feel what hurt us was foul trouble, and not coming out as aggressive in the first half. I feel like if we would’ve played the same way as we played in the second half, it would’ve been a totally different game, or at least made it a lot closer.

“Games like this are definitely something we can learn from, and hopefully we can improve on this.”