December 8, 2001

Emerson Wins SAU High School Tourney

Magnolia, Ark.—The Emerson Lady Pirates used a strong second quarter to defeat the Union Lady Cyclones 29-23 to win the Southern Arkansas University High School Girl’s Tournament championship here Saturday night. Emerson’s impressive record is now 14-1 while Union fell to 12-3.

Chad Rook’s Lady Pirates trailed the Lady Cyclones 5-3 at the end of the first quarter but a 10-2 run in the second period put Emerson in command at the half 13-7. Union cut the margin to 18-15 after three stanzas before Emerson came back in the fourth quarter to outscore the Lady Cyclones 11-8.

Only 3:10 remained in the first quarter when Union scored the first basket of the game on a jumper by Sharonda Davis. The Lady Cyclones went on to lead 5-0 before a free throw by Staci Cooper put Emerson on the scoreboard with 2:24 left. Cooper hit Emerson’s first field goal with 1:07 on the clock. Chelsea Glover’s jumper tied it 5-5 in the second period and Emerson’s first lead came after a jumper by Glover made it 7-5 with 3:24 left in the half. Emerson’s biggest lead of the game was 18-9 on a Holly Ball jumper with 4:26 left in the third period and the nearest the Cyclones came to regaining the lead was 16 seconds deep in the fourth quarter when Mary Beth Gilmore’s two free throws closed the margin to 18-17. Jenna Downey’s timely 3-pointer with 7:09 to play pushed EHS ahead 21-17.

Glover had nine points for EHS and Downey eight. Davis paced Union with a game-high 15 points. Emerson shot 45 percent from the field (9-20) while Union hit only 33 percent (7-21). EHS was 8 of 16 on free throws and UHS was 9 of 12. Union had a 20-12 rebound advantage but turned the ball over 22 times to only 13 for Emerson.

Emerson’s Cooper, Sharhonda Carrington, Glover and Downey were named to the All-Tournament Team while Davis, Gilmore and Danielle Parker represented Union.

The SAU All-Tournament Team:

Landra Coon, Stephens

Amanda Swilley, Parkers Chapel

Clarissa Willis, Lewisville

Ashley Singleton, Taylor

Heather Martin, Arkadelphia

Jill Wieser, Arkadelphia

Marquita Murphy, McNeil

Erica Ewell, McNeil

Sharonda Davis, Union

Mary Beth Gilmore, Union

Danielle Parker, Union

Staci Cooper, Emerson

Sharhonda Carrington, Emerson

Chelsea Glover, Emerson

Jenna Downey, Emerson