Southeast Missourian Player of the Week: Taylor Smith

Entering the championship game of the New Years Tournament it hosts, Taylor Smith and the Delta girls basketball team had a few things working against them.

First, despite a game-high 21 points from Smith, the Bobcats lost their only other championship-game appearance this year against Scott City at the Lady Devils Invitational hosted by Chaffee.

Second, Delta was facing St. Vincent in the title game, an opponent the Bobcats lost to earlier this season.

The Bobcats, led by Smith's Southeast Missourian Player of the Week performance, were able to reverse both of those results to claim the championship with a 56-42 win over the Indians.

As the senior done throughout the tournament, Smith led Delta offensively, scoring 19 points, 15 of which came via five makes from behind the 3-point line.

In her team's narrow semifinal win over Meadow Heights, Smith led the Bobcats with 14 points just as she did with an identical 14-point performance in an opening-round victory over Woodland.