Jonesboro impresses its coach in runaway win

JONESBORO 55, MARION 33

WEST MEMPHIS — Jonesboro head Coach Jodi Christenberry had zero complaints about the way her team played Saturday in the Class 6A state tournament semifinals.

The Lady Hurricane placed four players in double figures and committed only eight turnovers in their 55-33 victory over Marion.

The victory puts the Jonesboro girls into the title game for the second time in three years.

“Everybody did their part,” said Christenberry, whose team won the 2016 state championship. “We’re a team that thrives on balanced scoring. If we didn’t have that balance, we wouldn’t be where we are now.”

Jonesboro led for nearly the whole game after being down 4-0 at the start. The Lady Hurricane built a 28-17 lead at halftime, although Marion’s Joi Montgomery kept her team in it by scoring 12 first-half points on her way to a team-high 17.

The Lady Hurricane put it away in the opening moments of the third quarter when Kayla Mitchell stole a pass at midcourt and turned it into a transition layup to make it 39-23.

Later, after Montgomery picked up her third foul, the Lady Hurricane embarked on a 9-1 run to end the third quarter as three different Jonesboro players scored during that span.

Sophomore Elauna Eaton scored 16 points to lead Jonesboro while Brooklyn Dooley had 11, and Mitchell and Kianna Hardaway had 10 apiece.

GREENWOOD 65, LAKE HAMILTON 43

Freshman point guard Kinley Fisher hit four three-pointers and scored a gamehigh 26 points to lead Greenwood over Lake Hamilton.

Greenwood (22-9) scored the first eight points of the game and connected on 8 of 18 three-point attempts. Lake Hamilton (19-14) made 5 of 14 beyond the arc.

Greenwood led 27-18 at halftime, but Fisher opened the third quarter with a deep three, igniting a 12-5 spurt. Fisher put the game out of reach with two free throws with 2:06 to play to make it 60-40.

Ally Sockey scored 18 points for Greenwood. Jeanny Peake paced Lake Hamilton with 13 points. Taylor Wells scored 11.