By RANDY GONZALES

rgonzales@dailynews.net

Instead of hurting Quinter, a myriad of injuries have helped the Bulldog boys' basketball team.

Quinter was without 6-foot-6 senior Scott Ochs for the early part of the season with a carryover of a foot injury while playing football.

The Bulldogs also lost a starting guard, junior defensive specialist Derek Walt, for the season after a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee suffered in the third game.

Senior Zach Nemechek, the Bulldogs' 6-4 center, broke a bone in his foot in practice over Christmas break. He had a pin put in his foot, and Quinter coach John Crist hopes to have him back in time for postseason.

"It's been a crazy year, as far as injuries go," Crist said.

Quinter, 15-0 after Tuesday night's 21-point win at Ellis, is ranked No. 1 in Class 1A. Thomas More Prep-Marian will play host to Quinter on Thursday at Al Billinger Fieldhouse. The girls' game starts at 6:15 p.m., followed by the boys' game.

The Bulldogs have used their depth to overcome the injuries.

"We try to tell the kids not to use it as an excuse," Crist said. "Everybody else needs to step up and play."

Quinter likes to play at a fast tempo; that doesn't change no matter who is on the floor. But having just one big man in the lineup helps the Bulldogs in a way, Crist said.

"We haven't changed our style," Crist said. "The 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th players are getting more time than the beginning of the season.

"If anything, we've sped up the tempo without Nemechek. When you've got the Twin Towers you like to make sure they get touches all the time. You don't play as fast," he added.

Senior guard Matt Bird leads Quinter in scoring at 18.4 points per game. Nemechek is averaging 12.8 points and Ochs is at 12.4 points per game.

Nemechek is averaging 8.3 rebounds per game and Ochs grabs six rebounds a night.

"Matt Bird has really picked up his scoring pace," Crist said. "He's done a good job picking up his scoring when we lost Nemechek."

With one big man out of the lineup, 6-0 junior Joe Simon, normally a guard, has moved to the frontcourt.

"Probably the kid that's really improved in the course of the season was a guard and moved to the 4, that's Joe Simon," Crist said.

Senior Skyler Wittman also has helped inside, while senior Jordon Hargitt is starting at shooting guard for the graduated Edward Machen, a deadly shooter for last season's state runner-up squad.

"He's not as good a shooter as Machen was, but he's done other things -- play good defense, rebounding," Crist said.

Returning at point guard is senior Brady Reed, who is averaging 8.1 points and a team-high 3.6 assists per game.

"We've asked him to step up and score more than in the past because of the injuries," Crist said.

Crist said Ochs, last year's leading scorer at 13.1 points per game, is just now starting to round into form after battling plantar fasciitis in his foot.

"He's playing really well now, starting to look like his old self," Crist said. "We've got half of the Twin Towers."

Crist said if the other half -- Nemechek -- gets back in time for postseason, a deeper Bulldogs team will be in good shape for making a run at another trip to state.

"Get Nemechek back, we'll be just that much better," Crist said.

On Thursday, the Bulldogs will be playing a youthful TMP-Marian squad that is 4-9 on the season. Crist said the Bulldogs are looking forward to playing in Al Billinger Fieldhouse.

"I never coached or played in the TMP gym," Crist said. "I've heard a lot about it.

"They've played a tough schedule, some bigger schools. I think our kids are looking forward to going over there and play."

The TMP-Marian girls (12-1), ranked fifth in Class 3A, will be up against a one-win Quinter squad.

Originally a one-year commitment, TMP-Marian and Quinter also will play the next two years, with next season's game in Quinter.

"We both needed a game," Crist said. "We used to play Western Plains, but they're going to a different league, dropped us.

"It was going to be a one-year deal; they said they'd like to renew it, next two years after this," Crist said.