Marion has been a juggernaut during the first run through conference play, which can be a good or a bad thing. The Patriots hit the midway point of the league slate 7-0, and their closest game in that stretch was a 48-38 victory in the 5A East opener at West Memphis on January 6, but Marion led that game by as many as 21 points in the fourth quarter. Marion racked up four mercy-rule wins in that 7-0 start. So what's the downside? The unknown of playing in close games ahead of a state tournament bracket that's sure to be filled with competitive contests. On Tuesday night, No. 3 Nettleton pushed top-ranked Marion to the brink, but the Patriots responded with a 52-48 victory that was crucial for many reasons. For starters, the conquest of the Raiders completed a season sweep of Nettleton, which leaves Marion in firm control of the 5A East standings with a flawless 8-0 mark. Additionally, Marion (19-6 overall, 8-0 5A East) prevailed despite losing leading scorer Donnie Cheers, III with an injury in the first quarter. Without Cheers, Marion made its mark by connecting on 11 of its 18 free throws in the fourth quarter to turn away Nettleton (18-6, 7-2) at Fidelity Bank Arena. Marion downed Nettleton behind sophomore guard Lyndell Buckingham's team-high 13 points and four assists, and 11 points apiece from David Brewer and Martavius Davis. Nettleton fell despite Taylor Smith's game-high 19 points, 10 from Derodrick Smith, and nine points and 11 rebounds from De'Shun Jackson. "It shows the resiliency of our team," said Marion coach David Clark. "It took us a little while to get back into the swing of things after missing so much time due to the ice storm. It wasn't the best-looking win we've ever had, but we will always take a win over a good, good team." Marion started fast, hitting Nettleton with a 7-0 run in the first quarter, taking a 7-1 lead, including five straight from Davis. When Buckingham copped a steal and finished at the other end for a layup, the Pats were able to take a 9-5 lead after the first quarter. The break between the first and second quarters did not slow Buckingham, who scored five straight Marion points, giving the Patriots their first double-digit lead (17-7) on a stickback with 5:09 left in the first half. Smith scored six points down the stretch of the second quarter, dragging the Raiders within 22-15, but a Kayden Nesbitt fadeaway jumper beat the halftime buzzer for a 24-15 Marion lead at the break. Jackson and Smith combined to score 11 of Nettleton's 13 third-quarter points as the Raiders crept within 33-28 after three quarters. The Raiders scored the first four points of the fourth period to move within 33-32 with 6:15 when Smith canned a jumper, but Marion responded with five in a row, including Nesbitt and Davis scoring on offensive rebounds, and the Pats pushed back in front 38-32 with 5:18 left in regulation. Marion went back up eight points when Buckingham hit a runner and Brewer made a pair of free throws, but Nettleton got within five points three more times in the fourth quarter. Marion hit its last six free throws in the fourth quarter, including four by Davis, to turn the Raiders away. "We have been focusing on and working on that because it was sort of our Achilles heel in the non-conference," said Clark. "We shot a little better there tonight and it's getting better all the time. We made some big ones tonight.” WHAT'S NEXT? Marion hosts West Memphis (6-17 overall, 4-5 5A East) tonight (February 8) at Fidelity Bank Arena. The girls game will tip around 6 p.m., followed by the guys game at approximately 7:30. Both contests will be broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app. 5A EAST RESULTS FROM JANUARY 7 Marion 52, Nettleton 48 Searcy 49, W. Memphis 44 Valley View 50, Paragould 44 Greene Co. Tech 75, Batesville 43 5A EAST STANDINGS SCHOOL CONF. RECORD (Top 4 teams make the state tournament in Pine Bluff) Marion 8-0 Nettleton 7-2 Searcy 5-4 Paragould 4-5 Valley View 4-5 W. Memphis 4-5 Greene Co. Tech 4-6 Batesville 1-8