Lady Pats fall to Jonesboro
Marion girls can’t hold off Lady Hurricane
By Tyler Bennett
Marion School District JONESBORO — It was an intense night at Don Riggs Hurricane Gymnasium on Friday night, but the Golden Hurricane took both wins by five combined points. Both games went down to the wire and were decided by Jonesboro’s ability to make their free throws in the clutch.
Marion’s Lady Patriots (10-12 overall, 3-4 5A East) were in an evenly matched game with the Lady Hurricane (11-8, 5-2). The largest lead for both teams was eight points and every scoring run by one team was almost immediately followed by one from the other.
The Lady Pats led 57-53 with just over a minute and a half left in the game. The Lady Canes forced a turnover and got to the free throw line to trim the lead to two. Marion junior Jala Henderson regained the four-point lead on the next Marion possession with 53 seconds left.
However, the Lady Canes hit a mid-range jumper less than eight seconds later to trim the lead again. Marion could not corral the following inbound pass, giving Jonesboro the ball under the own goal with 42 seconds left.
Jonesboro got the ball to their best player, senior Tennessee signee Destiny Salary, who made a 19-foot jump shot through contact.
She would convert the three-point play and give Jonesboro a 60-59 lead, their first since the 1:26 mark in the third quarter.
Marion missed their shot to regain the lead on the next possession and a foul on the rebound attempt sent Jonesboro back to the free throw line. Marion trailed 61-59 when they got the ball back with eleven seconds left.
The Lady Pats again fell short on their shot attempt and another foul sent the Lady Canes back to the line. Jonesboro made both free throws with 1.7 seconds left to secure their fifth conference win.
Jonesboro’s Salary and Destiny Thomas had 17 points each, but the leading scorer for the game actually came off of the Marion bench. Junior guard Amyia Sloan made five of Marion’s six three pointers and with 21 points was the only Lady Patriot to finish in double figures.
Senior Joi Montgomery was the nearest Patriot as far as point total with seven points. Behind her were senior Keiana Delaney, Henderson, and sophomores Jessica Robins and Daedrianna Cail with six points each.
Junior Santia Robinson also finished with five points.
