Smith's 16 points positive sign for unbeaten Bobcats

Shea Smith had her best offensive performance of the season for the Delta girls basketball team in her comeback from a knee injury suffered during the softball season.

Smith, a senior guard who was selected as the Southeast Missourian's Player of the Year last season, fired in three 3-pointers and scored 16 points as Delta rolled past Shawnee (Ill.) 72-35 on Saturday.

The Bobcats, ranked No. 1 among the state's Class 1 teams after finishing third last year, pulled away in the second period to improve to 18-0 for the season.

After leading just 18-15 after one quarter, Delta went on a 21-10 scoring spree in the second period.

Joining Smith in double figures was fellow senior Kaci Menz, who poured in 31 points and also hit three 3-pointers. Jodi Menz and Sarah Blattel had eight rebounds apiece.

Delta hit nine 3-pointers and put the game our of a reach with a 33-10 scoring advantage in the second half.

DELTA 72, SHAWNEE (ILL.) 35

Delta 18 21 13 20 -- 72

Shawnee 15 10 7 3 -- 35

DELTA (72) -- Tiffany Amelunke 4, Amanda Drew 3, Alison Burger 2, Shea Smith 16, Jodi Menz 3, Sarah Blattel 1, Kaci Menz 31, Sarah Keys 4, Kayla Seabaugh 8. FG 27, FT 9-21, F 20 (3-pointers: Smith 3, K. Menz 3, Amelunke 1, Drew 1, J. Menz 1. Fouled out: none)

SHAWNEE (35) -- Ellet 6, Spring 2, B. McMahon 5, Taylor 3, K. McMahon 9, Meade 10. FG 11, FT 12-21, F 17.

Rosati-Kain 61, Central 50

Central was forced to put visiting Rosati-Kain on the free throw line trailing in the fourth quarter and could not recover.

Rosati-Kain of St. Louis made 17 of 24 free throws in the fourth quarter to pull away.

The Tigers fell to 7-11.

Courtney Schuessler led Central with 12 points, while Christina Sexton and Sarah Uptmor added 10 points apiece.

Rosati 18 13 11 19 -- 61

Central 13 12 11 14 -- 50

ROSATI-KAIN (61) -- Keys 1, Colloton 9, Boehm 3, Durbin 6, Noelker 9, Kriss 11, Schaffer 3, Moorman 19. FG 16, FT 24-34, F 13 (3-pointers: Colloton 3, Durbin 2. Fouled out: none)

CENTRAL (50) -- Christina Sexton 10, Kristin Shirrell 6, Tierra Walker 4, Courtney Schuessler 12, Jenna Matthews 2, Sarah Uptmor 10, Wendi Zickfield 6. FG 15, FT 15-18, F 22 (3-pointers: Uptmor 2, Shirrell 1. Fouled out: Schuessler, Uptmor)

JV -- Central won 51-22. Freshmen -- Central won 38-28.

BOYS BASKETBALLAdvance 74,Dyer County (Tenn.) 70

The Advance Hornets spoiled Derek McCord's return to Southeast Missouri with a win at the Bess Activity Center in Poplar Bluff.

The Hornets improved to 14-7.

Dyer County fell to 21-7. The team is coached by Derek McCord, who left Central following the 2005-06 season to take the post in Dyer County.

Notre Dame 79,Anna-Jonesboro (Ill.) 41

Notre Dame placed three players in double figures and had three other players score seven or more points in a home victory when the school inducted three graduates into its Hall of Fame (See photo, Page 4B).

The Bulldogs raced to a 21-2 lead after the first period and stretched the advantage to 69-28 after three periods.

Junior Ryan Willen paced Notre Dame with 20 points. Sophomores Austin Greer and John Unterreiner added 16 and 10 points, respectively. Unterreiner also hit two 3-pointers.

Notre Dame hit 16 of 18 free throws.

A-J 2 16 10 13 -- 41

Notre Dame 21 22 26 10 -- 79

ANNA-JONESBORO (41) -- Woodward 5, Mathewson 20, Chamness 8, Partridge 3, Wright 3, LeFevre 2. FG 13, FT 8-13, F 19 (3-pointers: Mathewson 6, Partridge 1. Fouled out: none)

NOTRE DAME (79) -- Mark Himmelberg 8, Abe Dirnberger 7, Ty Williams 8, Vance 1, Blake Gaddis 2, John Unterreiner 10, Austin Greer 16, Ryan Willen 20, Ivan Thomas 2, Joseph Tolbert 5. FG 29, FT 16-18, F 16 (3-pointers: Himmelberg 2, Unterreiner 2, Tolbert 1. Fouled out: none)

JV -- Notre Dame won, 71-55.

Westwood 73,Eagle Ridge Christian 53

Eagle Ridge Christian was outscored 27-12 in the fourth quarter in a road loss.

The Eagles (11-7) trailed by five points before being romped in the final period. Ben Douglass led Eagle Ridge with 19 points and Aaron Shell had 16.

Eagle Ridge 10 19 12 12 -- 53

Westwood 19 15 12 27 -- 73

EAGLE RIDGE (53) -- Ben Douglass 19, Aaron Shell 16, Scott Edgar 6, Daniel Cohen 5, Daniel Lies 3, Josh Wiseman 2, Jacob Lies 2. FG 23, FT 3-7, F 10 (3-pointers: Douglass 3, Shell 1. Fouled out: none)

WESTWOOD (73) -- Matt Osbourn 22, Josh West 21, Matt Phillip 17, Logan Foust 8, Adam Griffith 3, Ryan Bissette 2. FG 33, FT 6-14, F 10 (3-pointers: Griffith 1. Fouled out: none)

-- From staff reports