WEST MEMPHIS -- Buoyed by the addition of two freshmen to the roster, the West Memphis girls darted out to a huge lead and breezed to a 74-23 victory over Pine Bluff in the first round of the 6A-East Conference Tournament.
Point guard Aryah Hazley and post player Tiara Bradley made an immediate impact for the Lady Devils after finishing their junior high seasons less than 24 hours earlier.
Hazley scored 12 points and Bradley had a team-high 8 rebounds to go along with 4 points. Both players came off the bench late in the first quarter.
"They helped us in so many areas today," West Memphis Coach Shelia Burns said of her two freshmen. "It went beyond how many points they scored. They gave us energy, better morale and confidence."
The Lady Devils (16-12) grabbed a 20-5 lead at the end of the first quarter and built a 36-7 halftime lead. West Memphis made 10 of 16 field goals and forced 15 Pine Bluff turnovers in the first half.
West Memphis led 66-16 at the end of the third quarter.
Five Lady Devils scored 10 or more points, led by senior point guard Paris Perkins' 17 points. Senior centers Jayla Sheppard and Ty Bullins added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Ineka Clark paced Pine Bluff (12-12) with eight points.
Sports on 02/19/2017