By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
MARVELL -- Senior guard Nikki Bass scored 23 points in Palestine-Wheatley's 62-17 win over Marvell in a rare Wednesday night conference game, but the Lady Patriots' only returning starter wasn't the entire story.
Taking the floor after a 14-day layoff, the Lady Patriots stopped a three-game losing streak with Bass' effort and some much-needed help from Brittney Flenory and LaRhonda Bender.
Besides her 23 points, Bass had eight rebounds and eight steals and handed out seven assists.
Flenory finished with 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a strong performance. Bender added eight points and hauled in 15 rebounds in what P-W Coach Beverly Bass called a "great defensive effort by the 5-8 junior forward.
Libby Martin chipped in four points and four players -- Nikita Love, Beth Varvil, Jameela Applewhite and Edwina Bryant -- all finished with two points.
Varvil had two blocked shots.
"Beth has stepped up her game a notch and that's what we need right now," Bass said of her 5-9 junior.
So, the Lady Patriots improve to 5-9 for the year and stand at 2-0 in the 6AA Conference with Clarendon coming into Patriot Gym Friday night.
"The first part of the season was very painful for everyone," Bass said of P-W's nonconference schedule. "But it helped each one of the girls and it will pay off for us. We got better as a team and as individual players and that is what we needed to do."
The Lady Patriots led 15-2 after the first period and pushed that lead to 32-2 at the half after Marvell failed to score in the second period.
The Junior Patriots improved to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in conference with a 37-30 win over Marvell's junior boys.
Curtis Allen led P-W with nine points and Elijah Duncan finished with eight.
Marvell won the senior boys' game 73-59. Oliver Smith led P-W with 25 points while Brandon Roberts added 14.
P-W slips to 5-10 and 1-1.
* PREP BASKETBALL
High School Boys
Wednesday's Results
Marvell defeated Palestine-Wheatley
High School Girls
Palestine-Wheatley 62, Marvell 17
Junior Boys
Palestine-Wheatley defeated Marvell
Thursday, January 3
Junior High
FCity White at WMemphis Wonder
Blytheville at FCity Blue
High School
Gillett at Marvell
Friday, January 4
AAAAA-East Conference
Sylvan Hills at Forrest City, 6 p.m.
(Sr. Girls, Sr. Boys)
Blytheville at Jacksonville
Jonesboro at Cabot
LR Mills at West Memphis
6AAA Conference
PB Dollarway at Lonoke
6AA Conference
Altheimer at Cotton Plant
Clarendon at Palestine-Wheatley
* FOOTBALL - COLLEGE
Bowl Glance
Orange Bowl
Florida 56, Maryland 23
Thursday, January 3
Rose Bowl At Pasadena, Calif.
Miami (11-0) vs. Nebraska (11-1), 8 p.m. (ABC)