FC teams split DH against ’Jackets
The energy levels rose Tuesday night at Mustang Arena for the first time in a long time. Probably because Forrest City was hosting Wynne in what is always a huge conference matchup as well as one of the best rivalry games in the 4A5.
Hosting Wynne in a pair of varsity conference games, the Mustangs and Lady Mustangs put everything on the line in front of the most vocal Mustang Arena crowd this season in search of improving their seed headed into the conference tournament.
The Mustangs are looking to secure the fifth seed into the tournament, which would put them against the No. 8 seed in a first-round tournament home game.
The Lady Mustangs, fueled by a pair of freshmen guards who were moved up to the varsity level after completing the junior high season schedule on Monday, put together a frenzied run late in the fourth quarter before falling to the Lady Jackets 58-53.
Trailing by double digits with just over two minutes left in the game, the Lady Mustangs rallied by scoring 11 points before coming up five points short as time expired.
"We made a great run at the end but we sure could have used a couple more minutes," Forrest City Lady Mustang coach Caronica
Randle Williams said. "I'm proud of my girls. They played hard and did not quit."
Shmyira Brown led the Lady Mustangs with 12 points, including three, threes, while JaNya Brown added 11, freshman Charnelle Hoof hit for 10 and Abrianna Page chipped in with seven.
The Lady Mustangs fall to 2-12 overall and 1-9 in the conference while Wynne improves to 6-6 overall and 4-2.
Forrest City led 15-13 after one quarter and worked through three ties in the second frame to trail the Lady Yellowjackets 30-28 at the half.
Three more deadlocks surfaced in the third quarter before Wynne was able to snap the ties to take a 43-40 lead into the final frame.
Wynne pushed its lead to 10 points at 50-40 following a missed Forrest City three pointer. The Lady Mustangs sliced the Wynne lead to eight at 50-42, before falling behind by 10-points with 2:20 left and by 11 points twice before the final seconds ticked off the clock after dropping in three free throws and a two pointer.
Zahryla Baker led the Lady Yellowjackets with 18 points, while Shaylan Lewis finished with nine points and Derriona Spencer added 15 points.
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The Palestine-Wheatley Lady Patriots used a 42-point first half to ease past Lisa Academy West 60-15 in a game played Tuesday at the new patriot Gym.
Alexis Mallard led the lady Patriots with 22 points, 15 of that in the opening frame, while Allie Parson added 10 and Hannah Lewis had eight points in the win. All eight Lady Patriot players scored in the game.
P-W led 20-6 after the first quarter and 42-11 at the half and then held Lisa Academy to just four points in the second half.