Chaylea Mosby became accustomed to being the go-to player for the Dexter girls basketball team.

She helped Dexter compile an 89-30 record over four seasons, win three district championships, make three trips to the state quarterfinals and place third in the state tournament during her sophomore year.

Her freshman season at Three Rivers College was a different matter.

Her winning ways continued with the Lady Raiders compiling a 26-6 record, but she wasn’t the go-to player anymore.

“A lot of pressure was lifted off me because everyone else can contribute, too,” Mosby said. “It really helped a lot. I wasn’t as stressed.”

The 2019 Dexter High School graduate adjusted quickly to a faster-paced style of play and enjoyed a solid season where she was named first-team All-Region 16 and first-team All-Missouri Community College Athletic Conference.

“She had a great year,” Three Rivers head coach Alex Wiggs said. “She had a phenomenal year. She did great. She’s a great kid.”

Wiggs said Mosby became a more confident player as the season progressed.

“The speed of the game early on, she was like most freshmen. She was shocked,” Wiggs said. “It’s like OK. Now there are 10 people on the floor that are long, tall and athletic. We had no doubt she could compete at this level. Her growth was tremendous.”

Mosby said she needed some time to adjust to the college game.

“But after the first couple of games, I just got into the groove of it,” she said.

Mosby led the Raiders with 71 steals — which ranked 69th nationally — and was the team’s most accurate free throw shooter, making 49 of 62 attempts (79%).

She was the team’s second-leading scorer (11.8 points per game), made the second-most 3-pointers (70) and was the team’s second most accurate 3-point shooter (39.3%).

“I was way more confident this year than I’ve ever been (as a shooter),” she said. “I just played this year and didn’t really think a lot about it. I just caught it and shot it.”

Mosby was second on the team in assists (91) and third in rebounds (162), while mainly playing two-guard. She saw action at point guard, as well.

“That’s pretty special for someone 5-foot-6,” Wiggs said of Mosby’s rebounding prowess.

She played an average of 20.5 minutes per game, fifth-most on the team despite not starting a game, and recorded a better than 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, good enough for 33rd best in the nation.

She scored in double figures 19 times, including a season-high 31 points in a 111-53 win over State Fair Community College.

Wiggs said Mosby won’t catch anyone off guard next season.

“The biggest challenge from freshman to sophomore year is now they’re all going to know she can shoot it,” he said. “It’ll be taking what they give you. She’s talented enough and skilled enough to attack the basket or pass the ball.”

Mosby reunited with high school teammate Hannah Thurmon, who has signed to play basketball at the University of Montana next season. Thurmon was a member of the 2018-19 Lady Raiders squad who advanced to the NJCAA national tournament.

“That was really cool,” Mosby said of playing alongside Thurmon. “She helped me out a lot.”

The Lady Raiders will lose six players from last year’s squad that finished second in the Region 16 tournament: forward Brogan Jones, guard Jordan Little, guard An’Nyah Pettus, guard Katelyn South, guard/forward Thurmon and guard/forward Deanay Watson.

“Five of them have been here two years,” Wiggs said. “That was a special group of sophomores. They went 53-10 in two years. They did something right.”

Mosby, who hasn’t decided what college she will attend for the 2021-22 school year or if she will continue playing basketball, is pursuing a career in sports medicine.

Mosby’s list of accomplishments in high school is long and impressive, including four school records.

She finished with a school-best 2,386 points and made a school-record 385 3-pointers, which ranks third all-time in the state.

She holds a pair of single-game scoring records: most points (49) and most 3-pointers (8).

She was a three-time all-stater and became the first three-time winner of the Bob Gray Award as the top girls basketball player in the SEMO Conference.

Kyle Smith - Dexter Statesman