Simmons scores 25 to lead Chaffee past Delta

Shelton Simmons scored 25 points to lead Chaffee to a 72-45 road win against Delta on Tuesday, Feb. 13, in Delta, Mo.

Levi McKinnie added 15 points for the Red Devils as the only other double-digit scorer. Blake Yarbro and Kade Atkins chipped in eight points each. Not to be outdone, Ryan Jeffries led the Bobcats with a game-high 26 points including six baskets from the three-point line. Paxton Hornbuckle added 10 points while Casey Crowden (5) and Bryce Cox (4) rounded out the scoring for Delta.

The Red Devils took a 19-8 lead to start the game with the help of Devin Best, who scored all of his seven points in the first quarter. Both teams kept pace with a 14-14 second quarter as Chaffee entered halftime leading 33-22.

Simmons, who recently signed his letter of intent to play college football at Southwest Baptist along with Yarbro, scored 10 of the Red Devils' 20 third-quarter points to turn the game into a rout entering the final period.

Jeffries scored 13 of Delta's 16 third-quarter points in an effort to keep up, but the Bobcats couldn't slow the Devils down. A 19-7 fourth quarter sealed the game for Chaffee.

The charity stripe was not much of a factor in this game. The Red Devils shot 2-of-6 while the Bobcats made 4-of-9 from the free throw line.

The Red Devils (9-14) close out the regular season at home against Woodland (19-5) on Thursday, Feb. 15. A win against either the Cardinals or the Oran Eagles at the beginning of the Class 2 District 3 Tournament in Bloomfield, Mo., would mean three straight 10+ win seasons for Chaffee.

Delta (6-18) will conclude the regular season at home against Marquand-Zion (7-13) on Thursday, Feb. 13. The Bobcats will take on Scott County Central in the opening round of the Class 1 District 2 Tournament on Feb. 20, in Essex, Mo.