SMITHVILLE, Mo. — A little consistency went a long, long way for Benton’s Shelbee Cox.

The 5-foot-9 senior delivered on her tremendous potential Saturday night during a crucial, 48-32 victory against Smithville, the defending Midland Empire Conference champions.

With 14 points and 11 rebounds, Cox was the only player to tally a double-double and scored in all four quarters with her diverse playing style. Her steady effort carried the No. 2-ranked Cardinals (19-2, 3-0 MEC) through a brief, second-half lull and on to victory.

“When Shelbee Cox plays hard and plays under control, there’s not too many players out there that have her raw natural ability,” Benton coach Brett Goodwin said.

Cox gave Benton its first basket of the night on a long-distance 3-pointer in the early going, but she did most of her damage in the post. With the Warriors (12-9, 1-2) focused on stopping Benton forward Karli Sample, Cox ripped down six offensive rebounds and found most of her scoring opportunities on second-chance shots.

“She’s a matchup nightmare because she is somebody who can post, be around the basket and finish in traffic,” Goodwin said. “But she can also step out and shoot it.”

The Cardinals opened up a double-digit advantage thanks to a 12-2 run to open the second quarter but saw their lead shrink to as few as eight in the third frame. Benton countered with another spurt — this time 9-2 — to push the lead back to double figures for the rest of the contest.

Bottled up throughout the game, Sample came on strong in the fourth quarter to all but cement the contest. The standout senior converted a pair of free throws to open the scoring in the fourth and then made good on a three-point play less than 30 seconds later.

Cox soon followed with her final points on an offensive rebound and putback that pushed the lead to 18 points — 42-24.

Despite the solid win, Goodwin said the team allowed Smithville to linger well into the second half.

“We’ve got to do a better job of when we supply a run, sustain it,” Goodwin said. “Not reverting back to turnovers and not boxing out.”

Sample finished with 10 points and four rebounds, while guards Kerstyn Bolton (seven points) and Sydney Wilkinson (six) also provided on the offensive end.

Benton’s swarming defense lived up to its billing and forced the Warriors into 19 turnovers, eight of them in the second quarter, while no Smithville player managed more than seven points in the contest. The Cardinals out-rebounded their opposition 30-24 and ripped down 14 offensive boards.

Benton returns to action Monday with a clash against city rival Lafayette at Springer Gymnasium.