Bell City jumps ahead early against Delta in district rehearsal

DELTA, Mo. -- Bell City opened Tuesday's game on fire.

The Cubs worked the ball inside and out to get open looks and score the first 18 points of the game.

"We were just shooting it," Bell City senior Jeff Long said. "We were hitting, so we kept shooting."

Delta battled back and tied the game in the fourth quarter, but Bell City regrouped to post the 69-58 victory in a preview of a Class 1 District 3 boys basketball opener.

"I knew if we just execute we'd come out on top," Bell City coach Pat Niemczyk said. "They're a good team. You know they're going to make a run."

Niemczyk is serving as coach after Chris Miller resigned Sunday. Bell City High School principal Matt Asher said Miller stepped down for personal reasons. It is the second consecutive year that Niemczyk has become coach during the season. Brian Brandtner started the 2008-09 season as the Cubs' coach before being placed on administrative leave and then fired during last season.

The Cubs never missed a beat in the early going Tuesday. They hit 5 of their 6 3-pointers in the opening quarter and went 8 of 13 (62 percent) from the field over the opening eight minutes.

"Sometimes we get a little overconfident in our 3 shooting ability," Niemczyk said. "But the difference is you go inside to the big guy [7-footer Skylor Blackler] and run our offense off that, we're awfully tough to stop. Not only can he score, but he distributes the ball so very well. He just makes everyone else better."

Terrance Johnson hit a pair of 3-pointers to help spur the opening run. The Cubs moved around the ball to get open looks, especially from long range.

"We felt good," Bell City senior Skylor Blackler said. "We just really executed and kind of picked apart their defense a little bit."

Delta closed within four points with 3 minutes left in the second quarter, but Bell City responded with a 7-2 run to end the quarter and enter halftime with a 38-29 lead.

Bell City (8-15) pushed its lead to 15 points in the third quarter, but the Bobcats kept hanging around. Delta (13-11) made its biggest push in the fourth quarter. The Bobcats went on a 15-3 run to start the quarter and pulled even at 56-56 with 3:40 left in the game.

"We came out flat," Delta coach Justin Simpher said. "Any time you get in a hole 18-0, you've got to spend a lot of energy coming back. They made that surge to come back and tie it up, but they just used a lot to get themselves back in the game."

Chase Crowden hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight of the 15 points during the run.

But it was Bell City's turn to answer with another spurt. The Cubs reeled off 13 consecutive points before Crowden scored a basket with 8 second left in the contest as Bell City snared the road win.

"We started panicking a little bit and turned the ball over," Blackler said. "We called a timeout when they tied it and we kind of started playing the way we were the first half."

The Bobcats will get another chance at the Cubs in the first round of district play next week. The two teams will square off at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the same gym with the winner advancing to face Scott County Central in the district semifinals. Long said the Cubs wanted their play Tuesday to send a message to the Bobcats.

"We wanted to come out strong and tell them pretty much we're going to be there next week, too," he said.

Bell City 21 17 15 16 -- 69

Delta 13 16 12 17 -- 58

BELL CITY (69) -- Skylor Blackler 14, Jeff Long 20, Leonard Schaefer 14, Terrance Johnson 12, Tim Long 2, Terence Liggins Jr. 3, Jason Hess 4. FG 26, FT 9-18, F 7. (3-pointers: J. Long 2, Schaefer 1, Johnson 3, Liggins 1, Hess 1. Fouled out: none)

DELTA (58) -- Teddy May 9, Shelby Kight 4, Cody Helderman 6, Cody Naramore 10, Chase Crowden 22, Cody Schremp 4, Zach Reigert 3. FG 22, FT 6-6, F 18. (3-pointers: Crowden 4, Reigert 1, May 1, Helderman 2. Fouled out: Naramore)