By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Palestine-Wheatley's Erica Smith and Nikki Bass were named to the Class AA Girls' All-State basketball team last week.
It is the third consecutive year for Smith, a 5-10 senior forward, to be named to the All-State team.
Smith, who led the team in scoring, and is considered by many to be the girls' prep basketball player in the state. She was recruited by, and signed, with Louisiana Tech University.
Smith was also named to the 6AA All-Conference team, the Class AA State All-Tournament team and the Class AA All-Region team.
She has also been chosen to play in the All-Star Game, which will be held this summer.
Bass, a 5-6 junior guard, draws All-State honors for the first time. She was second on the Lady Patriots' team in scoring this season.
Bass was also named to the 6AA All-Conference team, the Class AA All-Tournament team and the Class AA All-Region team.
Bass was named to the All-Conference and All-Region teams as a sophomore last year.
Joining Smith and Bass on the All-Conference team are seniors Melanie Baker, Carlene Gardner and Sheryl Moore.
It is Baker's third straight appearance on the All-Conference team and on the All-Tournament team.
Baker has also been selected to play in the All-Star basketball game.
Baker was named to the Class AA All-Tournament team while Gardner, Baker and Moore joined Smith and Bass on the All-Region team.
The Palestine-Wheatley Lady Patriots won the Class AA state championship this year after finishing runners-up to Greenland for the past two seasons.
The Lady Patriots finished the year at 35-1 and ranked first in Class AA and third in the final Associated Press girls' basketball poll.
The team finished at No. 47 nationally.
Hughes junior guard Lonnie Smith led the Class AAA state champion Blue Devils in post-season honors announced recently.
Smith, who led the team in scoring this season, was named to the Class AAA All-State team as well as the Class AAA All-Tournament team, the 6AAA All-Conference First Team and the Class AAA All-Region team. Smith was also named the Class AAA state tournament's most valuable player.
It is Smith's second straight year to be named to the All-Conference team.
Joining Smith on the All-Tournament team is Robert Davis and Tim Jones.
Davis and Paul Doolittle were named to the All-Conference First team while Jones, DeMarcus Burks and Lonnie Davis were named to the Second Team.
Robert Davis, the most valuable player at the Class AAA Regional Tournament and Burks were also named to the All-Region team.
The Blue Devils defeated Clarksville in the finals of the Class AAA state tournament and finished the year at 35-1 and ranked first in Class AAA and fourth in the final Associated Press boys' basketball poll.