7A/6A-EAST GIRLS

Collier, Morris formidable 1-2 punch

WEST MEMPHIS -- Kyra Collier scored a team-high 19 points and freshman center Yo'Myris Morris controlled the inside Tuesday night to lead the North Little Rock girls to a 57-48 victory over West Memphis.

Collier, a junior, scored from all over the floor, but eight of Morris' 13 points came off offensive rebounds, two of which came at a crucial moment in the fourth quarter.

With North Little Rock (18-1, 6-0 7A/6A-East Conference) leading 48-44 with 4:33 left in the fourth quarter, Morris scored on two consecutive stickbacks to widen the Lady Charging Wildcats' lead to eight.

"She's just a ninth-grader, and when she gets this thing figured out she's going to be really something," North Little Rock Coach Daryl Fimple said. "She's just an athlete."

The Lady Wildcats threatened to take control of the game early when West Memphis' two inside threats, LaShala Saine and Amesha Hamlet, were both sent to the bench with foul trouble just short of five minutes into the game with West Memphis trailing 19-8 at the end of the first quarter.

Lady Devils Coach Shelia Burns went with a smaller lineup that paid dividends as West Memphis surged to a 28-27 lead.

Behind Morris' work on the boards, North Little Rock outrebounded West Memphis 19-6 in the second half.

After Morris' two second-chance baskets in the fourth quarter, the Lady Wildcats made 5 of 8 free throws in the final 49.3 seconds to hold off the Lady Devils.

Junior Ashton Neasley and ninth-grader Amber Hawkison added eight points each for North Little Rock.

Alexis Hamlet led West Memphis (12-8, 2-4) with game-high 20 points, and junior Anquanetta Chatt scored nine.

Sports on 01/28/2015

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