Dale wins regional titles over Cashion

The third time was not the charm for Cashion against top-ranked Dale.

The Lady Wildcats were defeated 54-34 by Dale on its home court Saturday in a Class 2A regional championship.

It was Cashion’s third crack at the Lady Pirates in just over a month as it was defeated 50-34 in the semifinals of the Cashion County Line Tournament and then 57-40 to close the regular season on Feb. 13.

Cashion got out to a strong start this time around and led 14-13 after a quarter.

But Dale used an 18-7 run in the second and steadily built on its lead from there.

Cashion (12-14) was led by Lauren Jenkins’ 11 points. Megan Shafer and Reese Williams scored eight apiece.

It was Cashion’s fourth straight year in a regional title game and it’s had to settle for runner-up each time.

Still, the Lady Wildcats move into area this week.

The Lady Wildcats play Chouteau-Mazie at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in the consolation bracket at Cleveland High School.

Chouteau won three straight consolation games at its regional last weekend.

Defending Champs Dominant in Victory

The major upset didn’t happen.

Rather, top-ranked Dale flexed its muscle.

The defending champ Pirates remained undefeated Saturday with an 83-30 victory against Cashion in a 2A regional championship.

It was a rematch of last year’s state title game.

While Dale’s roster remains mostly intact from last March, Cashion’s took on a major overhaul this season.

In their second matchup in just under two weeks, Dale took care of business early.

The Pirates were up 21-7 after a quarter and followed that with a 31-4 spurt in the second.

Five Dale players scored in double figures and a sixth scored nine points. They were led by Dayton Forsythe’s 13 points.

Nathan Nabavi paced Cashion with seven points while Jackson Vandruff and Ashton Moore scored six apiece.

Cashion (13-13) plays Warner at 3 p.m. Thursday in the area consolation bracket.

The Wildcats need three straight wins to qualify for state for a fourth consecutive year.