Delta shakes early injury to reach Class 1 state quarterfinals

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- Delta point guard Taylor Smith worked hard to hold back tears after the Bobcats' state sectional game against St. Elizabeth on Tuesday at Central High School in Park Hills, Mo.

Her team had won convincingly, posting a 61-39 victory to advance to the state quarterfinals Saturday, but concern was causing Smith's watery eyes.

Smith, the senior leader, leading scorer and all-state performer for the Bobcats, injured her ankle less than two minutes into the game.

"It was right in the beginning of the game," Smith said. "This girl had a lay-up and I was right behind her and my foot stepped on hers and it turned it.

"[The trainer] told me that if I took my shoe off it would be hard to come back because that's when the swelling and the pain would get worse. She said you need to make a decision, and I wanted to play."

Delta's Taylor Smith shoots between St. Elizabeth defenders Erin Struemph, left, and Sam Twehus, right, during the third quarter.

Although Smith would return, her sprained ankle set a series of changes in motion for the Bobcats early on.

"That's hard for kids," Delta coach Mark Verticchio said. "Here Taylor's played almost every game all year and all of the sudden she goes down and every girl is playing a different position and half of your offense is gone."

Verticchio said he thought his team was in shock when the injury happened.

"That's the worst thing that can happen to a team is your point guard going out," Verticchio said. "... Machela's our second point guard, but she's only a freshman and it's difficult for her to do that."

Delta's Machela VanGennip keeps the ball away from St. Elizabeth's Jaycine Bax during the third quarter of their Class 1 sectional game Tuesday in Park Hills, Mo. Delta won 61-39 to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal round. (Fred Lynch)

Machela VanGennip, the freshman who assumed Smith's position, got two steals and nine points in the final three minutes of the first quarter.

VanGennip said her nerves increased when Smith went out, but she understood that she needed to score more.

The Bobcats led 18-8 after one quarter thanks to a quick 6-0 run at the end of the period.

Smith, limping noticeably at times, returned in the second quarter and finished with 11 points in the game.

"I just wanted to do better," Smith said. "It's just depressing to get hurt your senior year."

With their point guard back on the floor, the Bobcats increased their lead in the second and third quarters.

"I think one of the best things she did was go out and play on it," Verticchio said. "Once she got to play on it, it might have helped her out a little bit."

St. Elizabeth pulled within 10 at one point in the third quarter -- the closest the Hornets would get to Delta in the second half -- causing Verticchio to leave Smith on the court.

"They made a couple runs at us and I got a little worried and truthfully I probably ... I don't know. I don't want to say I played her more than I should because it's hard to say, it's a gamble," Verticchio said. "But that she came back and played makes me feel a little bit better."

Delta's Machela VanGennip shoots over St. Elizabeth's Morgan Wilde during the third quarter.

St. Elizabeth was led by 6-foot freshman Erin Struemph with 17 points. When Struemph caught the ball in the paint, she was able to get good shots, thanks in part to no Delta player being taller than 5-foot-10.

Delta's Courtney Burton celebrates with her teammates Tuesday after the Bobcats defeated St. Elizabeth in the Class 1 sectional game in Park Hills, Mo. (Fred Lynch)

"We knew that they were going to have a big advantage inside, and we didn't do as good of a job as we had hoped to," Verticchio said.

Delta (19-8) will play Naylor at 1 p.m. Saturday at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff for a chance to advance to the Class 1 final four.

"I'm glad we won and I know Saturday is a way off and I can work on myself and get my ankle going," Smith said. "I'll be back. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The Bobcats advanced to the quarterfinals last year only to give up a double-digit lead to Bakersfield in the fourth quarter.

"This whole season I knew, and I think they knew, too, that no matter what we do we were going to be judged on whether or not we got to state," Verticchio said. "Last year, we blew a 13-point lead with eight minutes to go, and I think their goal is definitely to finish this off. Now they are right back where they were last year."

St. Elizabeth 8 13 16 2 -- 39

Delta's Ashley Glaus, center, tastes victory with teammates Courtney Burton, left, and Rachel Bartels near the end of their Class 1 sectional game with St. Elizabeth.

Delta 18 15 19 9 -- 61

ST. ELIZABETH (39) -- Courtney Hoecker 4, Morgan Wilde 10, Paige Otto 2, Erin Struemph 17, Jaycine Bax 6. FG 18, FT 3-7, F 19. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none.)

DELTA (61) -- Taylor Smith 11, Katie Brucker 4, Kendra Burnett 7, Machela VanGennip 23, Courtney Burton 9, Samantha Bartels 7. FG 20, FT 19-24, F 12. (3-pointers: VanGennip 1, Bartels 1. Fouled out: none.)