JACKSONVILLE -- Remembering what happened a year ago in the 6A-East Conference tournament gave the Jacksonville Lady Titans motivation in their elimination game against the Searcy Lady Lions, but it was their defense that made the difference.
The Lady Titans forced 22 turnovers and limited the Searcy to 9-of-29 shooting in clinching a spot in the Class 6A tournament next week in West Memphis with a 50-30 victory.
"It took us a bit to really get started,'' Jacksonville Coach Marian Kursh said. "I just think the girls were a little excited. We played Searcy in the same scenario as last year except we were at their place, and we lost and we missed out on our opportunity.
"This year, especially for those who were returning, they knew how much it meant to them to get that redemption. So eventually it played out the way we thought.
"It was brought up, but it was not something that was talked about repeatedly."
The Lady Titans (14-15) will play host to Little Rock Hall, a 56-52 winner over Pine Bluff, on Saturday at 1 p.m. to determine the third and fourth seeds for state.
Searcy finished its season 3-26.
The trio of Sharonda Perry, Shymaria Christopher and Deshundria Shockley led the way for Jacksonville. Perry had 15 points, Christopher 13 and Shockley 12.
Ta'lor Branch led Searcy with 14 points. Khadijah Cooperwood scored eight.
"Our main focus has just been on us and getting over that hump and getting over that barrier,'' Kursh said. "I think we will be a bit more relaxed on Saturday. I just think we had nerves early. We eventually turned it on and played the way we know how to play."
Searcy nailed a three-pointer five seconds into the game and added another with three minutes left in the quarter for a 6-4 lead, but a 7-0 run gave the lead to the Lady Titans. The Lady Lions would never lead again.
It was 15-10 Jacksonville after one quarter and 23-18 at the half. The cushion was still in single digits at 35-28 to start the final quarter.
GIRLS
BENTON 67, TEXARKANA 45 Benton used an 18-1 run midway through the fourth quarter to pull away from Texarkana and earn a berth in next week’s Class 6A state tournament. Senior guard Italei Gray scored a team-high 18 points while junior guard Kati Morrow added 16 for the Lady Panthers (14-13), who finished 17 of 43 (43 percent) from the field while forcing Texarkana into 20 turnovers, including 10 in the opening quarter. Junior forward Tierra Hawkins had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Lady’Backs (7-19), who shot 27 percent but trailed just 45-34 early in the fourth before Benton’s game-sealing run.
FS NORTHSIDE 56, CABOT 30 The thirdranked Lady Bears (23-3, 11-2 7A-Central) led by 10 after the first quarter then kept extending that lead to easily take a victory from the Lady Panthers (9-16, 2-11) on Cabot’s home floor. Junior Sara Bershers led Northside with 14 points while freshman Tracey Bershers added 13.
LR CENTRAL 63, FS SOUTHSIDE 51 The Lady Tigers (16-9, 7-6) used a 24-4 second quarter to seize control of the game and pull away to the easy victory over the Lady Mavericks (4-19, 3-10). Despite the loss, Southside clinched a state tournament berth as the sixth seed of the 7A-Central, thanks to Northside’s victory over Cabot on Tuesday. Central will be the fourth seed from the 7A-Central. Hannah Rainwater hit a late three-pointer to give the Lady Mavericks a 13-10 lead over Central after one quarter. But from there, the Lady Tigers dominated, seizing control of the game in the second quarter. Erynn Barnum scored nine of her gamehigh 22 points in the second quarter for Central. Rainwater’s 13 paced Southside while Kelly Carson added 12 points.
LR CHRISTIAN 66, LR FAIR 11 Wynter Rogers scored 15 points as Little Rock Christian (26-2) routed Little Rock Fair (1-25) in Maumelle to earn a berth in the Class 5A state tournament. Little Rock Christian led wire to wire, leading 24-0 after one quarter, 40-3 at halftime and 58-9 at the end of the third quarter. Reagan Bradley added nine points for Little Rock Christian, which will play Sylvan Hills or Pulaski Academy in a semifinal game at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
LR PARKVIEW 78, MILLS 33 Little Rock Parkview (17-8) clinched a spot in the Class 5A state tournament with a victory over Mills (3-22). Kania Lasker led Parkview with 22 points while Kaylan Larry had 21 points. Dynasty McGraw added 10 points. The Lady Patriots jumped out to a 20-4 lead in the first quarter and led 24-11 entering the second quarter. The Lady Patriots led 49-19 at halftime and 69-27 at the end of the third quarter. Parkview will play Beebe or Little Rock Christian in a semifinal game at 5:45 p.m. Thursday in Maumelle. Cetra Dale led the Lady Comets with 14 points. Nesha Burton chipped in with 11 points.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK 64, BRYANT 41 Senior Amber Hawkison scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half as the Lady Charging Wildcats (21-4, 11-2) defeated the Lady Hornets (11-14, 6-7) in 7A-Central action. North Little Rock broke out to an 18-7 lead after one quarter and put the game away by outscoring the Lady Hornets 21-8 in the third quarter. Yo’Myris Morris added 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks while An’nyah Pettus put in 15 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. For Bryant, junior Kalia Walker scored 12 points and Celena Martin added 8 points and 5 rebounds.
BOYS
JACKSONVILLE 70, MOUNTAIN HOME 63, OT The Titans (13-15) overcame a 41-point performance from Bombers’ senior David Wehmeyer to advance to next week’s Class 6A state tournament. Jacksonville, which outscored Mountain Home 10-3 in the extra period, was led by 19 points from Gearld Doakes. Mountain Home finished 12-16.
Sports on 02/21/2018