CONWAY -- Bryant's Parris Atkins has already been on campus at the University of Central Arkansas for multiple weeks.
That's meant regular workouts inside the Farris Center as the soon-to-be Sugar Bear gears up for her first college season.
Atkins did find herself in an unfamiliar position, however, Saturday afternoon, sitting on the East bench for the first two of five periods.
"I was over there ready to get in so bad," Atkins said. "[Once I got in], it was beast mode -- I had to turn up."
The 5-8 guard certainly showed out, finishing with 20 points, hitting 10 of 11 free throws, as the East held off the West 81-77 in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star girls basketball game. Atkins delivered a massive third-period punch, igniting a 10-2 East run in which she scored nine points in a four-minute span en route to Most Valuable Player honors.
"She's very athletic, very explosive," Melbourne Coach Eric Teague, who led the East, said of Atkins. "She's the kind of kid that listens and wants to learn. She's very attentive to what you're doing out there and she's going to be a great one."
Neither team was really able to gain a significant advantage during the first two seven-minute periods despite 12 points and 3 three-pointers from the West's Madeleine Tipton of Vilonia.
But Atkins broke things open, scoring 15 of her 20 points in the third. She made all nine of her free-throw attempts, and the East held the West to six points, taking a 49-34 lead into the intermission.
It seemed like the East was on its way to a comfortable win after the 8-minute fourth period, still ahead 65-47.
That was until the West erupted for a 12-0 run in a little more than two minutes, getting to within six points.
"We had a really good group of girls and everyone was really encouraging," said Lake Hamilton's Hayleigh Wyrick, who played for the West. "We all just put our heads together and did what we needed to do to come back."
Wyrick, who was the West's Most Outstanding Player and scored a game-high 22 points, combined with Farmington's Carson Dillard for 26 of the West's 30 points in the fifth and final period.
Dillard made back-to-back three-pointers to cut the deficit to six with less than three minutes remaining, and after a Wyrick bucket inside the final minute, Dillard scored off an East turnover to trim the margin to 77-74 with 29.2 seconds to play.
But Atkins converted on two layups in the closing seconds, settling the final score.
Dillard finished with 19 points and Tipton added 16 to lead the West as Rural Special's Brinley Morgan and Jacksonville's Da'karya Jackson -- the East's Most Outstanding Player -- joined Atkins in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
"I miss playing with [these girls]," Atkins said. "Half of the girls I played with I went against [in high school], so it was fun getting to play with friends."
Gallery: 2022 Girls All-Star Basketball
