BROCKWELL -- The Jasper Lady Pirates eased past the Emerson Lady Pirates 54-23 in the opening round of the Class 1A state tournament at at Izard County High School.
Jasper (32-5), the top seed from Region 1, has now won 15 consecutive games.
"We have been playing well lately ... shooting the ball pretty well," Jasper Coach Jeff Lewis said. "This time of year, the main thing is to stay focused and do the fundamental things right and keep doing things that got us here."
Bailey Pruitt and Leah Shellnut led Jasper with 12 points apiece. Pruitt scored nine in the first quarter as Jasper scored the first nine points of the game. A three-pointer by Morghan Willis pushed Jasper's lead to 18-5 at the 1:15 mark, and it was 20-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Emerson managed just one point in the second quarter as Jasper led 27-10 at halftime.
Jasper scored six unanswered points to push the lead to 33-10 to start the second half and cruised from there.
Kinsley Gunnels and Ranie Holland each scored six points for Emerson (16-16).
Sacred Heart 46, Bay 45
Despite almost blowing a 17-point second-half lead, the Lady Rebels managed to advance.
Sacred Heart (28-11) was up 22-13 and went up 34-17 midway through the third. It was 40-23 when Bay (36-5) began to make its late run, scoring the last five points of the third quarter and the first five of the fourth. The Lady Rebels got a three-pointer from Lindsey Bean at the 6:38 mark to slow down Bay's momentum, but the Lady Yellowjackets cut the gap to 44-42 on a three-pointer by Sydney Higgins.
Bean scored from the lane with three minutes left for a 46-42 Sacred Heart lead, but a three-pointer by Katie Ferguson pulled Bay within 46-45 with 2:37 remaining. But that was it for scoring.
Bean finished with 15 points and Madeline Beck had 11 for Sacred Heart.
Whitlee Layne led Bay with 16 points, and Ferguson added 10.
WONDERVIEW 60,
NORFORK 37
The Lady Daredevils (26-12) got six three-pointers from senior Bailey Wright, including five in the first half when they built a 27-18 lead at halftime. Wright had 20 points while Brooke Zimmerman added 16 for Wonderview. Marleigh Dodson, who scored 17 of Norfork’s first 18 points, finished with 19 to lead the Lady Panthers (25-11).
Sports on 03/03/2016