DEXTER -- The Dexter Bearcats checked another item off their list of goals Thursday night.
The Bearcats beat Bell City 76-35 to win their second-straight Stoddard County Activities Association regular-season championship.
Dexter (16-6) completed its league schedule with a 7-0 record.
"It's nice we came in and solidified a second conference championship in a row," Dexter coach Josh Dowdy said. "That's good for our team. It's well deserved. These kids have worked hard this season. So I'm happy they were able to nail that down."
So far this season, the Bearcats reached the semifinals of the SEMO Conference Tournament for the first time since the 1960s and repeated as the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament champion.
The regular-season title helped take some of the sting away from one goal the Bearcats didn't achieve -- winning the SCAA Tournament. Bernie beat the Bearcats 53-50 to win the tournament.
"It feels good," senior Dawson Kasting said of the regular-season title. "Dropping the final in the Stoddard County tournament left a sour taste in our mouths. It was good to come out here and repeat as conference champion."
The Bearcats, who played without starter Clay Mullins who injured his left ankle in practice before the game, didn't take control of the game until the second quarter.
Dexter led 11-10 after one quarter, and Kasting helped spark the Bearcats in the second. He scored 11 of his game-high 21 points in the second where the Bearcats outscored Bell City 33-11.
"Dawson, he earns all of his buckets just by playing hard," Dowdy said. "He is a relentless worker. When you get a kid like that, you hope that's a great model for the rest of the program. You just hope some of these underclassmen follow in his footsteps."
Kasting scores nine points in Dexter's 19-0 quarter-opening run. Alan Pippins ignited the run with a 3-pointer, and Gabe Jackson capped it with a putback for a 30-10 lead.
Seth Rogers scored seven of his 12 points, as the Bearcats closed the first half with a 14-11 run. They led 44-21 at halftime.
The Bearcats posted runs of 11-0 and 10-0 to finish off Bell City (0-17). They took a 68-28 lead into the final quarter.