WEST MEMPHIS -- Jonesboro came up with two huge steals in the final two minutes, then stopped West Memphis on the final possession to eke out a 48-45 victory.
West Memphis (18-3, 11-2 6A/5A-3) took a 45-44 lead with 3:02 to play on a driving layup from junior Kelsey Hubbard, who scored 11 points.
With the Blue Devils holding the ball for the last shot with 1:35 to play, Jonesboro's Jonathan Adams stole the ball near midcourt from West Memphis' Zachary Byrd. Adams flew in for a layup to give the visitors the lead for good.
Jonesboro's next defensive gem came from Marquis Eaton, who stole the ball near the same area Adams did seconds earlier. It turned into two foul shots for reserve guard A.J. Aycock with 39.5 seconds to play.
"I thought A.J. Aycock won the game for us," said Jonesboro Coach Wes Swift, whose team improved to 20-0 overall and 13-0 in the conference. "He took two charges near the end of the game, and then those free throws gave us the breathing room we needed."
West Memphis outrebounded Jonesboro 25-19, with freshman Chris Moore leading with 10 rebounds for the Blue Devils. Moore also led his team in scoring with 12 points.
Adams and Tony Hutson led Jonesboro's scoring with 10 points apiece.
Sports on 02/01/2017