Berry leads Delta to victory over Portageville in top 10 showdown

DELTA, Mo. — Portageville ran into one of the state’s top small-school teams on Tuesday, Feb. 11, falling 68-45 at Delta in a battle of state-ranked teams.

While the Class 3, No. 9 ranked Lady Bulldogs (20-4, 7-0 Bootheel) have been one of the area’s best on the boards this season, the Class 1, No. 3 ranked Ladycats (19-3, 6-0 Scott-Miss.) flipped the script, controlling the glass and dictating the flow of the game.

“Portageville is the best rebounding team in Southeast Missouri,” said Delta coach David Heeb. “I told the girls before the game that we must take care of the ball and rebound. We did both of those things, but we just weren’t as crisp on offense as I would have liked. Both teams played hard, but it was very sloppy. We were able to string together just enough to pull ahead in the second half.”

Delta came out of the gates with immediate intent, as Lilli Boitnott opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, quickly followed by another from Jade Berry to push the Ladycats to an 8-0 lead.

Portageville, who had faced few early-game struggles all season, found itself on the defensive. But after a dry spell, Ja’Niya Smith finally broke through with an offensive rebound and putback, cutting the gap to 8-2 with just under six minutes left in the first. Taryn Irby then drained a 3-pointer, narrowing the margin to 8-5, but Delta quickly regained control.

The Ladycats showcased their inside presence as Grace Ancell converted a strong putback through contact on the next possession.

Portageville, showing resilience, grabbed its first lead of the game at 11-10 when Alise Hickenbottom corralled an offensive rebound and scored on a putback, demonstrating the Lady Bulldogs’ typical strength on the glass.

However, a quick response came in the form of back-to-back baskets from Berry and Ancell, and the Ladycats finished the opening quarter with a 19-13 advantage, taking advantage of several miscues.

“Delta outplayed us tonight,” said Portageville Kellye Fowler. “They outrebounded us, outhustled us and we let them push us out of our offense. Defensively, we struggled to stop Jade Berry, and they made the extra passes.

“They were picking us up so high that it was hard to get into the offensive set,” she continued. “They press so well and sometimes it’s hard to transition from that press into running an offense. They did a great job and made us struggle at times.”

Delta began to build momentum early in the second quarter as Trena Crowden’s 3-pointer, which bounced off the front rim before falling in, extended the lead to 24-15.

Seconds later, a steal by Berry turned into an easy basket off an inbounds pass, pushing the advantage to 26-15, the Ladycats’ first double-digit lead of the night.

Portageville was far from finished, though. Hickenbottom, Irby, and Smith each contributed to a quick run that trimmed the deficit to 26-22.

Yet, once again, Delta responded with a strong finish, entering halftime with a 32-23 lead.

The Ladycats carried that momentum into the third quarter. Free throws from Ancell and a pair of quick 3-pointers from Berry stretched the lead to 43-27, forcing Portageville into a difficult position.

“We finally strung together just enough buckets,” Heeb said. “We had a few good possessions and once we got a little bit of breathing room, you could see our kids relax.”

With time winding down in the third quarter, Berry was fouled at the buzzer and calmly sank both free throws to extend the lead to 49-33 heading into the final period.

In the fourth quarter, Delta’s control was evident. Berry converted a traditional 3-point play to push the advantage past 20 points, and the Ladycats’ defense stifled any attempt to mount a comeback.

“Our kids work and play so hard,” Heeb said. “So on a night where we didn’t have our best basketball, but that’s why we try to play so hard, so on nights where you don’t play your best, you still have some cushion.”

Berry finished with a game-high 25, while Boitnott added 13 and Ancell contributed 11.

Smith led the Lady Bulldogs with 21 points.

“If there was a bright spot, Ja’Niya Smith took the ball to the rim really well tonight,” Fowler concluded. “She played hard. All of the girls played hard. This just showed us what we need to work on going forward. Sometimes a loss late in the regular season is the best thing that can happen to a team.”

Delta will host Kelly (8-12, 3-2 Scott-Miss.) on Monday, Feb. 17, before facing off against Class 2, No. 3 ranked St. Vincent (19-2, 4-0 Jefferson County) in what is shaping up to be the biggest girls basketball matchup of the year in Southeast Missouri.

Portageville, meanwhile, will host Kelly on Tuesday, Feb. 18.

DELTA 68, PORTAGEVILLE 45

P’Ville 13 10 10 12 — 45

Delta 19 13 17 19 — 68

Portageville (45) — Ja’Niya Smith 21, Alise Hickenbottom 7, Taryn Irby 7, Maggie Priggel 5, Satori Saxton 3, Josie Clayton 2. FG: 16. FT: 10-20. F: 18. (3-pointers: Irby 2, Satori 1. Fouled out: None.)

Delta (68) — Jade Berry 25, Lilli Boitnott 13, Grace Ancell 11, Trena Crowden 6, Emma Walter 6, Raelin Nanney 6, Jolie Scherer 1. FG: 24. FT: 14-19. F: 18. (3-pointer: Berry 3, Crowden 2, Boitnott 1. Fouled out: None.)