DaytonDailyNews.com

RIVERSIDE — If Stebbins girls' basketball coach Jerry Rex had his way, the Indians would have stealth capabilities, allowing them to fly under the Dayton-area basketball radar.

His team is 5-0 after Monday night's 60-24 throttling of Franklin, but Rex wants the anointing oil returned to the cupboard.

"It's way too early to build us up too high," the coach said. "Rank us right about 20th. We haven't hit the Kenton Ridges just yet. If we would have beaten Beavercreek and Chaminade-Julienne, then that would be something."

Rex, a veteran coach of 30 years who guided the Stebbins boys' basketball team in the 1980s, has revitalized a girls' program that hasn't been a factor on the local scene in many years. In fact, the Indians went an entire season without a win just a handful of years ago and have changed coaches more than uniforms in recent years.

"We've got a great group of girls — you'd be proud to have them as daughters," Rex said. "Some of these seniors have had three coaches in four years. It's hard to get any kind of consistency, but they've hung in there. We've still got to get a lot of things ironed out."

Leading 12-11 in the second quarter Monday, the Indians exploded with a 28-4 run that bridged the two halves and put the game out of reach. Sophomore Jamonica Orton led with 17 points, while senior Stacy Proctor tacked on 15.

Despite the impressive victory, Rex remains shy about catapulting his team into the local spotlight with tough foes Tipp City and Kenton Ridge on deck.

"I'm not sure," he said. "I'll tell you what, if you talk to me a week from tomorrow, then we'll tell ya. We're not there yet."