DEXTER -- The Neelyville Tigers made a big statement in the first quarter Thursday night.
The Tigers held Dexter to 1-for-10 shooting in a battle of state-ranked teams, took an early double-digit lead and avenged an early-season loss with a 70-60 victory at the Bearcat Event Center.
Dexter, ranked No. 8 in Class 4 in the most recent state coaches poll, beat the Tigers 66-58 in the championship game of the Lady Royal Christmas Classic in December.
"We've been huntin' a big win," Neelyville coach Becky Hale said, "and this was one of them."
Dexter coach Chad Allen wasn't surprised by sixth-ranked Neelyville's fast start.
"I figure they'd come in real hungry," Allen said. "Well, Neelyville did. They wanted it more than us, and they showed it to start the game."
The Tigers scored 14 of the quarter's first 15 points, including the first nine that featured a pair of 3-pointers by Autumn Dodd, who finished with 14 points.
J'Kayla Fowler, who paced Neelyville with 22 points, capped the game-opening 9-0 run with a putback.
"It's difficult trying to get shots off Dexter's zone, but we just tried to work the ball, be patient and get a good open shot," Hale said.
Rylee Allen's free throw with 4:50 left in the first quarter snapped the Tigers' run, but Fowler followed with a pair of baskets inside and Jentri Worley, who tallied 21 points, made a 3-pointer for a 14-1 lead.
Chaylea Mosby, who scored a game-high 29 points, made the Bearcats' only field goal of the first quarter, a 3-pointer with 25 seconds left, to slice their deficit to 14-4.
"Last time, we didn't get back on defense a whole lot and they got wide open shots," Hale said. "This time, we worked on getting back and not letting them have open shots. I think that threw them off a little bit and got them off balance."
With Mosby leading the way, the Bearcats rallied in the second quarter, cutting their deficit to two points twice.
"We weren't aggressive offensively," Allen said. "They were penetrating gaps and spotting up, knocking shots down. To me we were standing around and letting their defense dictate. It's pretty hard when that happens.
"Finally, we started knocking some shots down. We picked it up a little bit and made a good run, got back within two points at one point but digging out of that hole is pretty hard to come back from."
Mosby, who went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line, scored 13 of Dexter's 25 second-quarter points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Hannah Thurmon, who amassed 16 points, scored eight in the second, including two 3-pointers. Her first 3-pointer cut Neelyville's lead to 17-15 and her second sliced the lead to 31-29 with about one minute to play.
The Tigers responded both times. Fowler, Tori Harlow and Worley scored three points each in an 11-4 run to extended their lead to 28-19.
Fowler, who scored nine second-quarter points, fueled a half-closing 6-0 run for the Tigers, who led 37-29 at intermission.
The Tigers opened the third quarter with a 9-2 run with Worley's fast-break layup giving them a 46-31 lead.
Mosby sparked an 11-0 run to cut the Bearcats' deficit to 46-42. She scored seven of the 11 points.
Mackenzie Hobbs' basket and Worley's second 3-pointer of the game extended Neelyville's lead to 51-42 by the start of the fourth quarter.
"They're a good team," Hale said of the Bearcats whose win streak ended at six games. "You know they're going to make runs. We just can't let them make too big of a run."
Dexter tried to rally in the fourth when both Mosby and Thurman each made two 3-pointers, but the Tigers sank 6 of 10 free throws to secure the victory.
The Bearcats (12-3) will face Pacific at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Jackson Shootout before returning home to host Park Hills Central, the 10th-ranked team in Class 3, on Monday.
Neelyville (11-4) will have a week off before hosting Doniphan in an Ozark Foothills Conference matchup Jan. 18.