By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Until Friday night, it had been eight years since the Forrest City Lady Mustangs won a conference opening game.
That was back in January, 1994 when the Lady Mustangs were still the Fillies, when they defeated West Helena 52-38 behind a 17-point performance from Katrina Williams in the AAAA-East league opener.
Friday night, at Mustang Arena, it was junior Caronica Randle who helped lead the way for Forrest City to end the eight-year drought.
Randle scored a career-high 32 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, made five steals and handed out two assists to lead the Lady Mustangs (5-6, 1-0) past the Sylvan Hills Lady Bears (7-2, 0-1) 69-49 in AAAAA-East Conference opener for both teams.
For her efforts, Randle has been named the KATV-Channel 7 Player of the Week and will be featured in tonight's 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts.
The win also ended an eight-game losing streak against the Lady Bears and the Lady Mustangs' 69 points set a new high for points scored this season.
In her last three games, Randle has scored 22, 30 and now 32 -- all career highs. Randle has scored 20 points or more in six of the Lady Mustangs' 12 games this season and has been in double figures in all but three of those games.
Forrest City senior Deosha Agnew added 19 points and 14 rebounds for Forrest City while Erika Haggans finished with seven points, four rebounds and three steals. Katrina Floyd added six points and 13 rebounds.
Jessica Pope scored 12 to lead the Lady Bears and Courtney Brown and Amanda Sisk each added 10.
The Lady Mustangs opened a quick 7-2 lead in the first period before the Lady Bears got within 7-6 on free throws by Brown and April Harris.
Forrest City led 15-14 to start the second period and pushed that advantage to 27-23 with 2:18 to play in the first half. A pair of steals by Forrest City which led to layups left the Lady Mustangs with a 31-25 lead with 1:15 to play. Sylvan Hills scored before the half to trail 31-27.
The Lady Mustangs used a big third period to take a 46-36 lead into the start of the fourth period by outscoring the Lady Bears 15-to-9.
Agnew had eight of her 19 points in the third period, all on field goals.
She added seven points in the fourth period while Randle struck for 12 in the final frame.
Forrest City connected on 12-of-25 chances from the foul line while the Lady Bears sank 15 of their 22 chances.
The Lady Mustangs will host Blytheville Tuesday night, a team they split conference games against last season.
*In other AAAAA-East girls' games Friday, Jonesboro handed Cabot a 69-62 loss paced by Latoya Wortham's 26 points.
Sara Lehman added 13 for Jonesboro. Allie Gammill led Cabot with 16 points while Chelsi Sheridan scored 13 and Alyson Boone 11.
*Brandi Rodgers scored 17 points to lead the Jacksonville Lady Red Devils (11-2, 1-0) past the Blytheville Lady Chicks 59-26 in a AAAAA-East game.
Rachel Townsend added 13 points and Brandy Casey 10 for over Jacksonville.
*Jocelyn Love scored 12 points and Ashley Stinson added 10 to lead the West Memphis Lady Blue Devils (12-1, 1-0) past LRock Mills' Lady Comets 60-19 in AAAAA-East play.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
In what looked like a Sylvan Hills rout midway through the third period, the Bears held off a Forrest City Mustang rally in the fourth period to take a hard-fought 67-58 win at Mustang Arena Friday night.
It was the AAAAA-East Conference opener for each team.
"We could have folded our tents and let Sylvan Hills walk away with a 30 point win," said Mustang Coach Dwight Lofton. "The game was headed that direction, but our kids, especially our younger players kept battling and they didn't give up. They didn't get the win, but they got within nine at the end and that is something special."
The Bears led 13-9 after the first period and 36-26 at the half.
With 4:40 to play in the third, the Bears pushed their lead to 20 over Forrest City at 50-30 and settled for a 52-34 cushion to start the final frame.
Kerry Evans knocked down a three to start the fourth period and with 3:41 showing, Forrest City had sliced the Bears' lead to 13 points at 59-46.
The Mustangs were still within striking distance with less than a minute to play and a pair of quick baskets in the final 20 seconds got the lead to nine.
Anthony Bean, playing for the first time this season after becoming eligible at the semester, led the Mustangs with 14 points. Evans added 10 points while Derrick Brown and John Foreman each finished with eight points.
Jeremy Brown led the Bears with 19 points, just below his per game average of 24 points and Damon Harris kicked in 14 points.
*In other AAAAA-East boys' games Friday, West Memphis ended LR Mills' six-game winning streak with a 67-54 win in the conference opener for both teams.
*Tommy Williams scored 17 points as the Panthers opened AAAAA-East play with a 47-45 victory over the Hurricane. Joshua Watkins added 11 for Cabot.
*Michael Diggs led the Chicks (5-8, 1-0) with 13 points in a 60-55 AAAAA-East victory over the Red Devils (3-8, 0-1).
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Palestine-Wheatley Lady Patriots recorded a first for the season Friday night during a 57-26 win over Clarendon in 6AA Conference play at Patriot Gym.
Four Lady Patriot players finished in double figures -- led by senior guard Nikki Bass with 19 points.
Nikita Love added 12 points while Brittney Flenory and LaRhonda Bender each chipped in 10 points. Libby Martin added three for P-W.
The victory keeps the Lady Patriots undefeated in conference play at 3-0 so far as they head into Tuesday night's home game against the Barton Lady Bears.
Palestine-Wheatley led 4-3 after a low-scoring first period before Clarendon took a 9-8 lead with 4:56 to play in the second period.
From that point, however, the Lady Patriots found their shooting touch and went on to outscore the Lady Lions 49-to-17 to take the victory.
P-W led 20-15 at the half and 40-25 to start the fourth period.
Clarendon's only point in the fourth period came with 33 seconds to play when the team hit one free throw.
Palestine-Wheatley's reserves closed out the win.
Megan Tunnilson led Clarendon with 10 points while Tiffany Dawson added seven.
In junior girls play Friday, the Junior Lady Patriots got 16 points from Bernice Sparkman in a 40-17 run-away win over Clarendon.
Fallon Parker added six points, Tonisha Wynne five and Whitney Smith four in the P-W victory which helps the Junior Lady Patriots improve to 5-4 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
P-W led 8-0 after one period and 19-2 at the half.
The junior boys and junior girls will play at Holly Grove tonight in a nonconference matchup.
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots halted a two-game losing streak and improved to 6-10 for the year and 2-1 in the 6AA conference with a win over the Clarendon Lions Friday night.
The Patriots will host Barton Tuesday night which will also include a junior boys game beginning at 5 p.m.
In other games set for Tuesday, the Hughes Blue Devils, ranked second in Class AAA, will make a road trip to England to resume 6AAA Conference play.
The three-game set begins at 5 p.m. with a junior boys game.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Forrest City hosted the Class AAAAA state basketball tournament a year ago. They would like to do it again.
They will be up against some stiff competition from the West come Wednesday, when the Arkansas Activities Association is expected to decide the sites for upcoming regional and state tournaments in all classifications.
Forrest City and Fort Smith have submitted bids for this year's tournament, which will be held Feb. 26-March 2.
As of Friday, Fort Smith and Forrest City were the only two schools to place bids for this year's tournament.
Northwest Arkansas last played host the Class AAAAA State Tournament in 1999.
Greenwood and North Ark College in Harrison are hoping to get the Class AAAA state tournament while Beebe, Drew Central, Fountain Lake and Paris are vying for the Class AAA state tournament.
Beebe hosted the event a year ago.
Centerpoint, Flippin, Greenland, Harding Academy, Jessieville, Marmaduke, NorthArk College, Parkers Chapel and the Pine Bluff Convention Center have bid for the Class AA tourney while the Pine Bluff Convention Center, NorthArk College and Scranton have all bid on the Class A state tournament.
In Class AAA regional bidding Gentry and Prairie Grove want the Region 1 tourney while Cave City, Manila, Pocahontas and Valley View have been on Region 2.
Pulaski Academy submitted the only bid for Region 3 while Drew Central, Fordyce, Fountain Lake, Mena and Prescott each want to host the Region 4 matchups.
Greenland has bid on the Class AA Region 1 tournament while Bergman, Flippin and NorthArk College have bid for Region 2.
Mammoth Spring, Cross County, Marmaduke and Turrell, Cutter Morning Star, Jessieville, Caddo Hills Centerpoint and Parkers Chapel have all made bids for AA regional tournaments.
Lead Hill, NorthArk, Mt Pleasant, Sulphur Rock Evening Shade, Lynn, River Valley, Scranton, Nemo Vista, Conway St. Joseph, Grady (UAPB), Delight, Wickes, Bradley, Saratoga and Spring Hill have all placed bids to host Class A regionals.
* PREP BASKETBALL
High School
Monday, January 7
AAAAA-Central
LR Catholic at LR McClellan
LR Hall at LR Parkview
Mount St. Mary at LR McClellan
AAAAA-West
Rogers at Springdale (girls)
Russellville at FS Southside
3AAA-North
Highland at Brookland (boys)
Jonesboro Westside at Hoxie (boys)
Pocahontas at Corning (boys)
3AAA-South
East Poinsett County at Gosnell (boys)
Gosnell at Valley View (girls)
Harrisburg at East Poinsett Co. (girls)
Rivercrest at Trumann (girls)
3AA-North
Buffalo Island at Walnut Ridge (girls)
Riverside at Rector
3AA-South
Marvell at Crawfordsville
Junior High
FCity White at MacArthur
Annie Camp at FCity Blue
Palestine-Wheatley at Holly Grove
Tuesday, January 8
AAAAA-Central
LR Central at NLR
LR McClellan at Conway
LR Parkview at Mountain Home
AAAAA-South
Benton at Sheridan
El Dorado at Texarkana
AAAAA-West
Bentonville at Fayetteville
Rogers at Springdale (boys)
Van Buren at FS Northside
AAAA-East
Wynne at Marion
AAAA-Southeast
Marianna at West Helena
Monticello at Crossett
North Pulaski at Watson Chapel
White Hall at Stuttgart
3AAA-North
Highland at Brookland
Pocahontas at Corning (girls)
3AAA-South
Harrisburg at Trumann (boys)
Manila at Rivercrest (boys)
6AAA
Dumas at DeWitt
Hughes at England
Lonoke at Brinkley
2AA-South
Des Arc at Augusta
Harding Academy at DeValls Bluff
McCrory at Carlisle
3AA-South
Earle at Crawfordsville
Marked Tree at Cross County
Parkin at Turrell
6AA
Barton at Palestine-Wheatley
Clarendon at Gillett
Elaine at Altheimer