SEARCY --- Marion scratched clawed here on Friday night in an attempt to continue its winning ways in league action. But Searcy had all the answers. The Lady Lions used two long runs to outpace the Lady Patriots in a 61-44 victory in what will likely be Marion's last visit to Lion Gymnasium as Searcy expects to open its new state-of-the-art arena next month. Searcy hit Marion with a 15-3 run in the second quarter to establish a seven-point lead. Then, the hosts scored 11 of the first 14 points of the third period to distance themselves from Marion. The Lady Lions hit half their second-half field goal attempts and limited Marion to just 33 percent shooting in the same span. Searcy (12-12 overall, 3-7 5A East) guard Chip Johnson led all scorers with 18 points and four assists, while Olivia Roberson hit for 17 points, and Sara McCain and London Flowers each hit for seven points. Marion (8-14, 5-5) got 17 points and eight boards from senior forward Kiera Neal, but no other Lady Patriot scored more than Taylor Little’s eight points. The teams went back and forth in the first quarter, which featured five lead changes. Neal scored 7 of her points in the opening frame, including the last 4, as Marion earned an 11-9 lead after 8 minutes. The visitors’ lead hit 15-9 early in the second, but Searcy responded with a 10-2 run, sparked by 5 from Roberson, to take a 22-17 lead. The Searcy lead reached 27-20 before Marion worked within 27-24 at halftime. Four Lady Lions scored to open the third quarter, and when Flowers split a pair of free throws, the hosts enjoyed their first double-digit lead (34-24) with 4:16 left in the third period, and Searcy enjoyed a 39-29 lead into the fourth quarter. Marion made a move halfway through the fourth period, embarking on an 8-1 run to work within 47-40 with 3:39 remaining. That’s when Roberson sparked an 8-2 run with six points on layups to turn Marion away for good. Searcy outrebounded Marion 35-26 and forced 19 Lady Patriot turnovers while giving it away 14 times. The Searcy victory completes a season sweep of Marion for the first time since 2007, giving the Lady Lions the head-to-head tiebreaker. WHAT'S NEXT? Marion continues its push for the state tournament Tuesday when the Lady Pats host Batesville (8-16 overall, 1-9 5A East). The girls game will tip around 6:00, followed by the boys contest around 7:30. Both Batesville ballgames will be broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app. 5A EAST RESULTS FROM FEBRUARY 10 Searcy 61, Marion 44 Paragould 55, Batesville 31 Greene Co. Tech 37, Valley View 29 W. Memphis 58, Nettleton 40 5A EAST STANDINGS AS OF FEBRUARY 11 SCHOOL CONF. RECORD (Top 4 make state playoffs) W. Memphis 10-0 Paragould 7-2 Nettleton 6-4 Marion 5-5 Greene Co. Tech 5-5 Searcy 3-7 Valley View 3-7 Batesville 1-9