Tuesday, December 31, 2002


Patriots stumble at Tech Tournament of Champions

RUSSELLVILLE -- The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots stay at the 54th annual Arkansas Tech Tournament of Champions didn't go exactly as head coach Terry Clardy would have liked.

The Patriots, who opened the season with 10 straight victories, lost both games at the tournament.

On Friday, the Patriots lost to Guy-Perkins 65-53 and then dropped a 58-54 decision to Hector on Saturday.

Hector turned a conventional three-point play in the final minute to hold off the Patriots in the consolation game.

DeVille Pickett led the Patriots with 23 points. Palestine-Wheatley stands at 10-2 for the season.

Guy-Perkins downed Morrilton 82-63 in Saturday's boys' championship game.

*The Hughes Blue Devils won one and lost one at the Northeast Arkansas Invitational tournament last week at Jonesboro.

The Blue Devils, the class AAA division defending champions, defeated Black Rock 70-56 last Monday before losing to Parkin on Thursday.

Hughes' Jermaine Davis dropped in 31 points to lead the Blue Devils to the victory.

David Dowden added 17 for the Blue Devils (4-4) and center Malcolm Curne contributed with 10. Curne also received a technical foul in the third period.

On Thursday, Parkin used a 7-0 run midway through the fourth quarter as the Tigers went on to post a 53-45 win over fourth-seeded Hughes.

Hughes was led by Johnny Washington with 15 points followed by Dowden with 11.

The game was tied 9-9 after the first quarter before Hughes scored the first six points of the second quarter to build a 15-9 lead.

The Blue Devils led 22-21 at the half and Parkin led 37-34 after three quarters.

Marmaduke out-lasted Parkin in Saturday's final while EPC defeated Batesville in the 3A-4A-5A division.

Senior Girls

A trio of consecutive three-point flings to start the fourth period and three free throws in the final 57.9 seconds kept Guy-Perkins just out of reach of Dardanelle as the Lady Thunderbirds won the girls' division of the 54th annual Arkansas Tech Tournament of Champions Saturday night at Tucker Coliseum.

The title win came 31 years after the Lady Thunderbirds had won their first -- and only -- Tech tournament title.

*The Palestine-Wheatley Lady Patriots, playing in the tournament for the first time, salvaged a 49-43 win over Hector on Saturday after losing their game to Dover.

On Saturday, the Lady Patriots got 17 points from Libby Martin and 11 each from Brittney Flenory and Love in the team's 49-43 win over Hector.

Last Thursday, Dover used an 11-0 sprint to break away from Palestine-Wheatley and the Lady Pirates went on to claim a 63-42 decision in opening round play at the Tournament of Champions.

Nikita Love was the only Palestine-Wheatley player to reach the double scoring column, winding up with 13.

Dover opened the game with an 8-0 run, before Palestine-Wheatley scored 10 unanswered points and the Lady Patriots went on to lead 14-9 at the end of the first period.

*At Conway, the Forrest City Lady Mustangs lost to Watson Chapel Monday and finished their stay at the Lady Wampas Cat Invitational 0-3.

In the round-robin style tournament, the Lady patriots lost to Conway 74-41 last Friday and to Rogers on Saturday 66-47.

Watson Chapel was able to secure a four-point victory Monday.

Forrest City senior forward Caronica Randle was chosen the Arkansas Prep Hoops Class AAAAA Girls "Player of the Week" for the first week of the season, Dec. 15-21.

*At Jonesboro Saturday, the Cabot Lady Panthers won the 3A-4A-5A division championship at the Northeast Arkansas Invitational tournament which was played at the ASU Convocation Center.

Cabot was making its first appearance in the 26th annual event.

Cabot, seeded third, rolled past top-seeded Rivercrest 70-58 in Saturday's championship game.

Cabot defeated East Poinsett County, Valley View and Pocahontas to get to the title game while Rivercrest ousted Osceola, Stuttgart and Nettleton.

In the class A-AA girls' division, Turrell took home the tournament title by defeating Bay in Saturday's finals.

Turrell downed BIC, Sloan-Hendrix and top-seeded Marmaduke to get to the championship game.


2002-2003 Bowl Games

Tuesday's Score

New Orleans Bowl

North Texas 24, Cincinnati 19

Wednesday's Score

GMAC Bowl Mobile, Ala.

Marshall 38, Louisville 15

Monday, December 23

Tangerine Bowl, Orlando, Fla.

Texas Tech 55, Clemson 15

Wednesday, December25

Las Vegas Bowl, Las Vegas

UCLA 27, New Mexico 13

Hawaii Bowl At Honolulu

Tulane 36, Hawaii 28

Thursday, December 26

Motor City Bowl At Detroit

Boston College 51, Toledo 25

Insight Bowl At Phoenix

Pittsburgh 38, Oregon State 13

Friday, December 27

Houston Bowl, Houston

Oklahoma State 33, Southern Mississippi 23

Independence Bowl At Shreveport, La.

Nebraska 23, Mississippi 17

Holiday Bowl, San Diego

Kansas State 34,. Arizona State 27

Saturday, December 28

Alamo Bowl, San Antonio

Wisconsin 31, Colorado 28

Continental Tire Bowl

Charlotte, N.C.

Virginia 48,West Virginia 22

Monday, December 30

Music City Bowl at Nashville, Tenn.

Minnesota 29, Arkansas 14

Seattle Bowl

Wake Forest 38, Oregon 17

Tuesday, December 31

Humanitarian Bowl at Boise, Idaho

Iowa State (7-6) vs. Boise State (11-1), Noon (ESPN)

Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas

Washington (7-5) vs. Purdue (6-6), 2 p.m. (CBS)

Liberty Bowl at Memphis, Tenn.

Colorado State (10-3) vs. TCU (9-2), 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Silicon Valley Classic At San Jose, Calif.

Fresno State (8-5) vs. Georgia Tech (7-5), 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Peach Bowl At Atlanta

Maryland (10-3) vs. Tennessee (8-4), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

San Francisco Bowl

Air Force (8-4) vs. Virginia Tech (9-4), 10:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Wednesday, January 1

Outback Bowl At Tampa, Fla.

Michigan (9-3) vs. Florida (8-4), 11 a.m. (ESPN)

Cotton Bowl At Dallas

LSU (8-4) vs. Texas (10-2), 11 a.m. (FOX)

Gator Bowl At Jacksonville, Fla.

Notre Dame (10-2) vs. North Carolina State (10-3), 12:30 p.m. (NBC)

Capital One Bowl At Orlando, Fla.

Penn State (9-3) vs. Auburn (8-4), 1 p.m. (ABC)

Rose Bowl

Pasadena, Calif.

Washington State (10-2) vs. Oklahoma (11-2), 5 p.m. (ABC)

Sugar Bowl At New Orleans

Georgia (12-1) vs. Florida State (9-4), 8:30 p.m. (ABC)

Thursday, January 2

Orange Bowl At Miami

Southern California (10-2) vs. Iowa (11-1), 8 p.m. (ABC)

Friday, January 3

Fiesta Bowl At Tempe, Ariz.

Miami (12-0) vs. Ohio State

(13-0), 8 p.m. (ABC)



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