DEDHAM, Mass. — The winter break gives prep basketball teams a much-needed physical and mental reset. That appears to have revitalized Dexter Southfield.
Dexter had a challenging and atypical start to the season: an early opener at the NMH Tip-Off Classic in November, a trip to the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix just before the holidays and one of the quickest returns from vacation as part of this weekend's Shooting Touch Showcase at Nobles.
But Dexter, after struggling through its tough games, got a big victory on Friday. They rolled past a quality St. Luke's team, 74-35, to get back over .500 at 5-4. With a brutal upcoming schedule against many of its AAA rivals, Dexter needed a convincing win like this to have some momentum. They looked much more poised compared to when I first watched the team in November.
Here are five standouts from the contest.
Ella Peper, Dexter Southfield
Class of 2028, 6-4 forward
Hometown: Newton, Mass.
These are the types of games that get you hyped about where Peper can go as a young player. She scored an easy 22 points (20 through three quarters) against a smaller St. Luke's roster. Peper hit three 3-pointers off of handoffs and off the catch, and she had one sweet crossover into a pull-up 2-pointer. She looked much more decisive driving the ball and not giving the defense time to set. Peper generally seemed more confident than when I first watched her in November.
Peper also can run fast breaks effectively. She easily won rebound battles with her height and length. And the Storm very rarely dared attack her off the dribble as a defender. I don't think that was even Peper's peak performance, and she was still clearly the most impactful player on the floor.
KNOW THE NAME:Â Ella Peper is unlike any young basketball player you've ever seen
Izzy Adams, Dexter Southfield
Class of 2026, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Walpole, Mass.
Adams took the torch in the second half of the blowout, scoring 12 of her 14 points after the break. Somewhat similar to Peper, Adams seems more calm and collected, and that's led to better shot selection compared to when I saw her Dexter debut. She scored a couple times off of cuts, hit a 3 from the wing and carved up the Storm in transition. I also noticed a bit more of Adams as the ambitious, flashy passer I've known her to be since she played at Walpole. I imagine that court vision-swagger combo will continue to blossom as she keeps acclimating to the team.
Riley Hamilton, Dexter Southfield
Class of 2027, 5-11 guard/forward
Hometown: Lexington, Mass.
Dexter needs its depth at the wing position to step up with the long-term injuries to both Megan Roche and Sam Barton. It looks like Hamilton can be an X-factor after her effort on Friday. She scored seven points, including a smooth 3-pointer and a backdoor cutting layup thanks to a feed from Ella Andrews. Hamilton's team defense was very strong most of the game, and she helped keep the quick St. Luke's guards from finding easy lanes to the basket. I'll definitely have to pay more attention to her if she continues to be an important glue player for Dexter.
Olivia White, St. Luke’s
Class of 2026, 5-9 guard
Hometown: Bronx, N.Y.
White scored 13 of the Storm's 35 points and was the only player who consistently generated scoring chances herself. Her physicality as a powerful driving wing helped against Dexter. White could spin or bully her way to the basket for layups or free throws. She also made a nice dive cut to the basket off off a teammate's drive, got the ball and finished a layup through a foul. White's going to find a lot of matchup advantages with her size and handle, and it's good to see her be aggressive in those spots.
Sophia McAnany, St. Luke's
Class of 2029, 6-0 guard/forward
Hometown: Darien, Conn.
I'll be transparent: I knew nothing about McAnany entering this game. But in the first half, I watched as No. 11 played great defense in the post and actually bother Brooke Nunnally-Gardner, one of NEPSAC's most fundamentally-sound post scorers. Then I saw her make a nice cut and finish a layup off a baseline-out-of-bounds set, and saw her finish off a pocket pass from point guard Cam Nelson. McAnany was one of the bright spots in a tough loss for the Storm, and I didn't know she was in eighth grade until I found the roster after the game. I'm nowhere near ready to list top 2029 prospects, but consider McAnany notable.
Quick shouts:Â Dexter Southfield post player Avery Bollin (Raynham, Mass.), another 2029 prospect, continues to show off her mobility and effort level as a defender. Dexter has Bollin playing up on ball screens and doing a lot of switching, and she's great in this regard. ... 2026 forward Brooke Nunnally-Gardner (Stoughton, Mass.) had a classic outing by her standards, scoring 11 points mostly via post moves and putbacks while dominating on the boards. ... No, I'm not going to hype up a 2030 (?!) prospect yet, but remember the name: Xyzla Simpson (Mattapan, Mass.). She's a small, super quick backup guard on Dexter who flashed some impressive pace-changing ability and passing. ... St. Luke's star Cam Nelson (Greenwich, Conn.) didn't have her best game Friday, but the Syracuse commit still showed her elite talent in moments, like when she split Dexter's pick-and-roll defense and finished a layup high off the glass over Peper.
