Bobcats taste first loss in Chaffee title game

~ Sikeston handed Delta a 46-44 loss in the Lady Devils Invitational.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Delta's first loss of the girls basketball season was a heartbreaker, but one the Bobcats hope will pay dividends down the road.

Delta, a Class 1 school riding a string of five appearances in the state playoffs, lost 46-44 to Sikeston, a Class 4 school, on Tuesday night in the championship game of the 29th annual Lady Devils Invitational in Chaffee.

"Anytime you have a good, competitive game, it's going help you get better," Delta coach Randy White said. "It helps show what your weaknesses are and the kids find things to work on."

The Bobcats (5-1) have to work on those opening minutes of each half.

Delta, which has no seniors on the roster, fell behind 10-2 early in the first half before battling to a halftime tie, and fell behind by seven early in the second half and never took the lead.

"We were a little excited," White said. "We're still young."

Delta knotted the score at 44-44, though, when Ashley Deprow made one of two free throws with a little more than a minute to play.

But Sikeston (3-3) took the lead when the only senior on the floor, Alli Blurton, drove the lane for a layin with 47 seconds to play.

Delta turned the ball over and allowed Sikeston to run some time off the clock before fouling Blurton. She missed her free throw, and Delta had one last shot -- an off-balance 3-point attempt by Shea Smith that missed the mark.

Blurton was the game's high scorer with 16 points, including two 3-pointers. Latoya Gipson added 12 points.

Delta had three players in double figures -- Kaci Menz and Ashley Deprow each had 12 points, and Smith added 10, including two 3-pointers.

Delta built its largest lead at 24-21 with a seven-point spree late in the first half but Blurton nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the score at halftime.

Neither team scored for the first two minutes of the second half before Sikeston scored seven points in 32 seconds when Blurton hit a free throw, missed the second and grabbed the rebound to fire in a 3-pointer, and Gipson hit a 3 on the next possession.

Delta rallied from a 36-28 hole to get within one by the end of the third quarter on baskets by Kayla Seabaugh followed by a field goal and 3-pointer by Deprow.

After Delta get down by as many as seven in the final period, Deprow hit another basket to pull Delta within 44-43 with 3:23 to play before hitting her free throw to tie.

Kelly 58, Sikeston 43

The Hawks (4-1) captured third place by bouncing back from a 70-58 loss to Sikeston in the semifinals.

Nikki Wieny scored 17 points and Debra Hall added 14 for Kelly.

Oran was led by Erica Michelson, who scored 11.

Scott County Central 68, Chaffee 43

The Bravettes won the consolation bracket by taking a 26-6 lead after one period.

Brittney Peet scored 26 points for Scott County Central, and Amanda Lawless added 23.

Whitney Schlosser scored 10 points for Chaffee.