FREDERICKTOWN — Perryville knew the challenge it faced.
Standing across the court Wednesday night was a Doniphan team that entered the Class 4, District 1 semifinal with a 24-2 record and the reputation of a defending state champion returning much of its championship roster.
In the end, a pair of early runs proved too much to overcome.
Doniphan surged ahead in the opening minutes and never looked back, defeating the Lady Pirates 65-32 on March 4 in a district semifinal contest in Fredericktown. Perryville finished its season with a 15-11 record, while the Donettes (25-2) advanced to the district championship game.
The difference in the game came during two brief stretches when Doniphan capitalized on turnovers and turned them into easy points.
“The first three-and-a-half minutes of the game and then the first three-and-a-half to four minutes of the third quarter, they beat us by a combined 26-0 in those seven or eight minutes of game time,”
Perryville coach Jason Dreyer said. “Obviously, when you’re playing really good teams, you can’t let them go on runs like that.”
Doniphan set the tone early, racing to a 26-9 lead after the first quarter before extending its advantage to 41-18 by halftime. The Donettes continued to pull away in the third quarter to build a commanding lead.
Despite the early deficit, Dreyer said his team continued to compete throughout the rest of the game.
“For the other 24 minutes of the game, we played them pretty even,” he said. “Once we calmed down and focused, we kind of hung with them.”
Senior Abygail Amberger led the Lady Pirates offensively, scoring 18 points while facing Doniphan’s top defender throughout the night. She converted 10 of 12 free throws and consistently attacked the basket to keep Perryville competitive.
Dreyer praised Amberger’s ability to maintain composure against a strong defensive opponent.
“Aby played really well offensively,” Dreyer said. “They’ve got some really good defenders, and they put their best defender on her. She did a really good job keeping her composure and attacking.”
Lilly Cowell provided a spark off the bench for the Lady Pirates, contributing four points while also helping on the boards and distributing the ball offensively.
Overall, Perryville struggled to find a consistent rhythm offensively. The Lady Pirates shot just 25.6 percent from the field and committed 30 turnovers against Doniphan’s pressure defense.
Meanwhile, the Donettes shot 45.3 percent and created numerous scoring opportunities off turnovers and in transition, led by Carsyn Hagood, who finished with 21 points. Makenna Kirby finished with 10, while Ellie White and Bella Monaghan had 9 each.
Even with the loss, Dreyer said facing a high-level opponent like Doniphan provided valuable experience for a young Perryville squad that expects to return its entire roster next season.
“We knew it was going to be tough going into it,” Dreyer said. “They’re the defending state champions for a reason, and they return most everybody from that team.”
Looking ahead, Dreyer said the program plans to adjust its schedule to include more challenging opponents in preparation for postseason play.
“We return everybody next year,” he said. “So playing good teams like that now helps us realize what we still need to work on and improve on.”
For Perryville, the loss closed the book on the 2025- 26 season, but the experience gained against one of the state’s top teams could serve as an important step forward as the Lady Pirates look toward the future.
PERRYVILLE 58, DEXTER 43
FREDERICKTOWN — Perryville set the tone early and never let up. Behind a balanced offensive effort and strong defensive pressure, the Lady Pirates defeated Dexter 58-43 on March 2 in the opening round of the Class 4, District 1 tournament in Fredericktown.
The victory pushed Perryville into the district semifinals and improved the Lady Pirates’ record to 15-10 at the time.
Perryville jumped out to an early advantage, building a 15-8 lead after the first quarter and extending the margin to 29-18 by halftime. The Lady Pirates continued to control the tempo in the third quarter, outscoring Dexter 17-11 to push the lead to 46- 29 heading into the final period.
Abygail Amberger led the way offensively for Perryville, finishing with 18 points while attacking the basket throughout the night and converting six free throws. Janie Porter added 17 points, including seven free throws, while Zoe Hoehn chipped in 11 points to give the Lady Pirates three players in double figures.
Perryville’s defense played a major role in the victory. The Lady Pirates forced 30 turnovers and collected 23 steals, creating numerous scoring opportunities in transition.
The Lady Pirates also controlled the boards, finishing with a 36-26 rebounding advantage and holding Dexter to just 12 points in the paint while scoring 32 inside themselves.
Lilly Cowell added four points and contributed several rebounds and assists off the bench, while Halie Fritsche finished with four points, and Paula Sticht added two.
Dexter (7-19) was led by Hadley Walton with 15 points, including five three-pointers.
For Perryville, the win provided momentum heading deeper into postseason play as the Lady Pirates continued their pursuit of a district championship.
