RUSSELLVILLE -- Shameka Ealy didn't let foul trouble stop her or her Russellville teammates from reaching the state championship game.
Ealy posted her second consecutive triple-double, and the Lady Cyclones knocked off Little Rock Parkview 45-35 in the Class 6A girls state tournament semifinals at Cyclone Arena.
"It's exciting," said Ealy, who finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks. "I don't even know how to explain it."
The Lady Cyclones (22-6) will be the fourth team that first-year Russellville Coach Sherry White has taken to the state finals.
White led Hot Springs to a state title in 1989, then won four championships in Harrison. White also led Fort Smith Southside to the 2013 state championship game.
This year's game will be her seventh state title game appearance.
"It's a great feeling," White said. "It's something we've talked about since the very first day I got here."
Ealy, a Missouri State signee, picked up three fouls in the first half but never got her fourth.
After Parkview's Kania Lasker gave the Lady Patriots a 30-28 lead with a three-pointer from the wing, Ealy tied the game at 30 with a baseline jumper, then hit another to give Russellville a 32-30 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Emily Posey hit a three-pointer for Russellville to open the fourth quarter, and Ealy scored off a spin move for a 38-30 lead.
Parkview (17-8), which hadn't scored since late in the third quarter, got a basket inside from Lasker to make it 38-32.
"Shots just didn't fall for us [late in the game]," Parkview Coach Lahoma Howard said.
Russellville went to its spread game and hit 7 of 12 free throws to finish off the victory. Alyssa Owens knocked down four of those free throws and finished with 14 points for Russellville. Lasker had 15 points for Parkview.
JONESBORO 61, EL DORADO 46
Starr Taylor scored a game-high 24 points as the Lady Hurricane clinched their first-ever state title game appearance. Taylor scored had 19 points at halftime as the Lady Hurricane (19-12) led 30-20. El Dorado (23-5) cut Jonesboro’s lead to 40-34 in the third quarter, but Jonesboro got the lead back up to double digits to start the fourth. Khiandra Perry added 15 points for the Lady Hurricane. Mekaylan Hicks led El Dorado with 16 points. Tasheanne Armstrong had 13 and Shannon O’Guinn added 12.
Sports on 03/06/2016