CONWAY -- In a rematch of last year's final game at the Lady Cat Classic tournament in Conway, Watson Chapel topped Forrest City 57-35.
Melissa Anderson led the way for ninth-ranked Watson Chapel with 17 points for the victors.
Watson Chapel scored the first 18 points before the Lady Mustangs got their first points on the board.
Regardless, Forrest City Coach said her girls "played hard."
"Watson Chapel was everything I expected them to be," Jayroe said. "They intimidated us early and it showed in the first half, but we came out and played much better and much smarter in the second half. I wanted my girls to concentrate on having fun and doing the little things they need to be doing to win ball games."
Torrie Willis paced Forrest City with 13 points, including 3 three-pointers, while Sequoria Grady added 10 and had 10 blocked shots. Forrest City senior guard Trina Wynne was held scoreless.
The Lady Mustangs could not overcome a disastrous first quarter in which Watson Chapel rolled to an 18-8 lead. Forrest City managed just three points in the second period and trailed 29-11 at the half.
The Lady Mustangs fall to 3-8 for the year and have lost four straight at the Conway tournament. Forrest City went 0-3 a year ago at the Lady Cat Classic.
Watson Chapel out-rebounded the Lady Mustangs 30-to-19.
The host team Conway Lady Wampus Cats capped a day of mostly runaway victories Saturday at the Lady Cat Classic, thumping Little Rock Fair 58-32 at Wampus Cat Gym.
Twelve Lady Cats scored as Conway (6-3) continued its winning ways after winning the Springdale tournament last week.
Ashley Heard led the Lady Cats with 13 points, including eight straight Conway points late in the first quarter, as she and backcourt mate KeErica Cartwright combined to give Conway a 20-7 lead.
Conway was able to empty its bench in the fourth quarter.
The Lady Cats brought the mercy rule into play, after two quick baskets to start the fourth quarter made it a 30-point game.
Jennifer Wilson added eight points for Conway, and Cartwright, Brittany Greer and Jolanda Young each totaled six.
Patricia Hampton led the Lady Eagles with 11 points, while Suzette Thornes added 10. They each added five rebounds.
In other games on Saturday, Mount St. Mary edged Van Buren 50-46 in the best contest of the day.
Krystal Tyree and Britton Blough led Mount St. Mary with 13 points each. Van Buren was led by Sarah Buchanan and Connie Senesomxay with 12 points apiece.
Norman, Okla., ripped the Bryant Lady Hornets 71-39. Taylor Hardeman scored 11 for the winners, and 11 players scored overall.
Play resumes on today, with Bryant and Forrest City meeting at 4 p.m., Fair and Van Buren and 5:30, Norman and Watson Chapel at 7, and Conway and Mount St. Mary at 8:30.
The championship game is set for Tuesday night.
OSCEOLA -- After a ragged first half, the Forrest City Mustangs put together a solid second half against Hughes on Saturday and walked away with a 70-64 win.
Both teams were playing in the Regions Bank Seminole Classic at Osceola.
The Mustangs will face West Helena tonight ast 6:30 p.m., in one semifinal while Osecola and Marianna will play at 8 p.m. The two semifinal winners will play for the tournament title Tuesday at 8 p.m.
The Mustangs have plenty of motivation going into tonight's semifinal game against West Helena.
"We want a rematch against Marianna," said Forrest City Coach Dwight Lofton. "We want another shot at them. We got embarrassed at their place just before the holiday break and we know we are a better team than that."
Marianna dealt the Mustangs a 71-46 loss on Dec. 20. Should the Mustangs get another shot at Marianna, it will be their third meeting of the year and will be the 'rubber match.'
Against Hughes, Forrest City settled for a 29-28 halftime lead after leading by as many as eright points in the first half.
The key was a 17-0 run to open the third period which put the Mustangs in front 46-28.
Forrest City led 52-39 to start the fourth before Hughes cut the lead to 63-60 late in the game, using some long-range, three-point shooting.
Lorenzo Spearmon hit three of four free throws late to ice the win for Forrest City in th final 30 seconds.
Sherman Allen, in his first start of the season, led Forrest City with 17 points while Spearmon finished with 13 points, coming off the bench. Roy Parker added 11 for the Mustangs.