Stories from Thursday, February 16, 2012

EPC and Bay's junior high boys' teams recently captured their respective conference district basketball titles. EPC got 33 points from Malik Monk as the Junior Warriors posted a 61-49 over Riverside in the 2A-3 title game. T.J. Young added 12 for EPC. Bay posted a 31-23 victory over Crowley's Ridge Academy in the 1A-3 East title game. Tyler Pritchett led Bay with 14 points.

Harrisburg's senior high boys' and girls' both had opening round games in the 3A-3 district tournament at Corning this past Tuesday. The Lady Hornets advanced with a 51-25 win over Tuckerman while the Hornets fell to Piggott 68-48. Brayden Honeycutt led Harrisburg with 14 points. In the girls' game, Kellie Simpson led three Lady Hornets in double figure with 11 points. Nikki Pierce and Natalie Eaton both chipped in 10 points for Harrisburg. The Lady Hornets will play Manila Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Trumann hosted Bay this past Friday night for senior night. Tyson Oliver scored 31 points and the Yellowjackets played spoilers in handing the Wildcats a 68-50 loss. Bay jumped out to a 10-4 in the first half of the opening period. They grew that lead to 10 before a Malcolm Washington steal and basket in the closing seconds got Trumann to within seven at 16-9. The second quarter saw Bay open up a 13 point lead at 26-13 with 3:56 left in the half. Trumann closed out the quarter on a 10-0 run to pull within three, 26-23, going to halftime. Washington opened the third period with a basket to cut the lead to 26-25 with less than a minute gone. Oliver hit back to back three-pointers to push Bay's lead back to seven at 32-25 with 6:21 left in the third. Damien Holt scored a basket with 3:56 left while being fouled. Holt converted the three-point play to give Bay a 40-31 lead. Trumann again used a good run to close the period. The Wildcats outscored the 'Jackets 9-1 over the last two and half minutes to cut the lead to 41-40 after three periods of play. Oliver canned a three-pointer to open the fourth giving Bay a 44-40 lead. Washington got Trumann as close as they would get at 44-42 with 7:02 left in the game. Bay's offense started to click from inside and outside as they outscored Trumann 24-8 the remainder of the quarter. Oliver led all scorers with 31 points for Bay. Holt added 11 while Gunner Freeman and Dylan Loven both chipped in 10 for the 'Jackets. Washington and Matt Holt both scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Trumann. Jimmy Creecy netted 10 points for the Wildcats. "We played better in the second half, shooting the ball and defensively," Bay coach Brad Brannen commented after the game. "I told the guys I was proud of them for being mentally tough with the way they answered each run Trumann had on us." "We didn't do a good job of finding Oliver out of our zone, they (Bay) hit their big shots in the fourth period and we had trouble hitting ours," Trumann coach Skip Dulaney said after the game.

Jazmye Nixon, Trumann's lone senior, shined bright this past Friday night as she played her last home game as a Lady Wildcat. She poured in 31 points to help her team overcome a nine point halftime deficit and post a 57-49 victory over the Bay Lady 'Jackets. Trumann went ahead early 4-1 before Sara Sharp of Bay hit back to back three-pointers to put Bay up 7-4 with a little over three minutes left to play in the opening period. Jade Presley's three and a Hannah Willard jumper sandwiched around a Nixon basket made the score 12-8 with less than a minute left in the period. Bay led after one period, 13-8. Willard drilled a three-pointer to open the scoring in the second period putting Bay up 16-8 in the opening minute of play. Trumann cut the lead to three on a Kelly Guthrie three-pointer with 5:08 left to play. Nixon scored on a layup less than a minute later to get Trumann within one at 16-15. Courtney Francomano scored the next baskets for the Lady 'Jackets to put Bay up five at 20-15 with 2:35 left before half. Presley extended Bay's lead to eight, 23-15 with a three-pointer with 1:56 left in the period. Nixon stopped Bay's run with two free throws making the score 23-17 with 1:06 left. Presley netted a three-pointer right before the halftime buzzer to give Bay a 28-17 halftime lead. Bay outscored Trumann 4-2 in the first three minutes of the third period before Hannah Walters hit a three-pointer to make the score 32-22 Bay. The Lady Wildcats used a combination of inside and outside shots to end the period on a 9-0 run to make the score 32-31 Bay after three periods. Guthrie gave Trumann the lead with a three-pointer to open the scoring in the final period putting the score at 34-32 Lady Wildcats. The teams swapped baskets before Walters nailed a three with 5:14 left to stretch the Trumann lead to five at 39-34. Nixon added to that lead with a basket making the score 41-34 Trumann. Nixon scored six of Trumann's next 10 points as the Lady 'Cats held a 50-40 lead with 1:45 left to play. Bay scored the next four points to cut the lead to six at 50-44 with 1:18 left. Morgan Taylor's basket put the lead back to eight with a minute left to play at 52-44. Presley hit a three with 47 seconds left and Willard made a pair of free throws to close Bay's scoring making it 52-49 with 42 second left. Trumann scored the last five points for a 57-49 victory. Nixon led all scorers with 31 points for Trumann. Guthrie added 12 for the Lady 'Cats. Willard led Bay with 13 as Presley and Sharp both added 12 for the Lady 'Jackets. "I thought we played pretty good the second half," Trumann coach Scott Brown said after the game. "Our senior (Nixon) came out and played hard and led the team for us." "It was a tale of two halves," coach Chad LaRose of Bay commented after the game. "We played good the first half, but it was like a lid was on the basket in the second half."

Bay recently honored all four basketball teams for winning all four 1A-3 East conference championships. The had a combined record of 38-2 inside the conference. Each player received a medal and each coach a plaque commemorating their accomplishment.(Photo Submitted)

Trumann's Wildcats and Lady Wildcats both posted opening round wins in the 4A-3 district tournament at Westside this past Tuesday night. The Wildcats slipped by Highland 43-41 and the Lady 'Cats posted a 51-44 win over Gosnell. Jimmy Creecy and A.J. Winningham both had 11 points for Trumann. Nathan Maxwell chipped in 10 for the Wildcats. The Lady Wildcats were led by Jazmye Nixon's 19 points while Morgan Taylor tossed in 11 for Trumann.