The past three weeks have seen the Marion Lady Patriots play their best all-around basketball of the 2022-2023 season. Five straight conference victories, each more impressive than the last, built confidence around the locker room that Marion was peaking at the right time. Marion still looks good to make the state tournament, but the Lady Pats suffered a hiccup Wednesday night in the form of West Memphis's ultra-productive two-headed juggernaut of Janiyah Tucker and Clamisha Prackett. Tucker led all players with 22 points and six assists, while classmate Clamisha Prackett hit for 15 points and 17 rebounds to help the Lady Blue Devils top the Lady Pats 64-54 Wednesday night at Fidelity Bank Arena. While Tucker and Prackett motored the offense, the West Memphis (21-3 overall, 9-0 5A East) defense harassed Marion into shooting just 29 percent from the floor. "It felt like every time we almost got something going, they had an answer," said Marion coach Shunda Johnson. "We missed too many layups and free throws to beat a team like that." Kiera Neal paced Marion (8-13, 5-4) with 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Brianna Dyson added 13, and Aya Johnson hit for seven. West Memphis closed the first quarter on an 8-2 run to claim a 14-7 lead entering the second period. Prackett and Tucker combined for all eight Lady Blue Devil points during that stretch. West Memphis took its first double-digit lead of the night (18-8) when Aniya Price turned an offensive rebound into a layup, and the Lady Blue Devils led by as many as 11 points in the second period on four occasions. Marion worked within nine points at the half when Neal found Dyson for a layup to make the score 30-21. The visitors reinstated their double-digit lead in the third period when Price hit a pair of free throws and Prackett logged a layup for a 35-24 lead, but Marion made a move when Neal hit a pair of charities, and Ny'Asia Jackson hit Alyse Holliman for a layup before Jackson made a pair of freebies on the following possession. When Neal hit a layup, Marion was within 35-30 with 3:34 left in the third. West Memphis got a three-pointer from Price before Tucker converted a three-point play to give the Lady Blue Devils a 44-36 advantage to begin the fourth period. A Neal triple got Marion within 51-43 with 5:11 remaining, but West Memphis hit the hosts with an 11-3 run to put the game out of reach. Price's fourth three-pointer launched the spurt before Tyra Taylor hit a layup, and Tucker again converted a three-point play on the possession before she made two of three from the line. When Alayah Price split a pair of freebies, West Memphis enjoyed its largest lead at 62-46 with 3:21 remaining. Marion got threes on back-to-back possessions from Jackson and Aaliyah Taylor, and a Neal stickback got the Lady Pats within eight (62-54) with 41 seconds left, but Alayah Price made a pair of free throws to clinch the final. “We thought at that time (the 8-0 run) that we could make one last run at it,” said Johnson. “But it just didn't work out. It's frustrating because we didn't play nearly as well as we have been, and we needed to do that, or even play better to win, and we just didn't do it.” WHAT'S NEXT? Marion travels on Friday night to Searcy (11-12 overall, 2-7 5A East) looking to avenge a January loss to the Lions. The girls game will tip around 6 p.m. and will broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app. 5A EAST STANDINGS AS OF FEBRUARY 9 SCHOOL CONF. RECORD Top 4 make playoffs W. Memphis 9-0 Paragould 7-2 Nettleton 6-3 Marion 5-4 Greene Co. Tech 4-5 Valley View 3-6 Searcy 2-7 Batesville 1-8 5A EAST SCHEDULE FOR FEBRUARY 10 Marion at Searcy Greene Co. Tech at Valley View Paragould at Batesville W. Memphis at Nettleton