Marion head boys basketball coach Emmanuel Wade has played and coached basketball at the highest level imaginable. He was an excellent high-school player, so good that he played four years of college basketball at the University of Mississippi. He guided his native Marianna to a state championship in 2021 as the head coach. And his first Marion basketball team is currently 13-3 overall and tied for first in the 5A East with a 6-1 mark after Tuesday night's 50-35 home victory over Batesville inside Fidelity Bank Arena. So, he must have been over the moon, right? “I'm disappointed with how we played on defense,” said Wade immediately following Tuesday night's victory. “It's the second game in a row that we didn't come out with the right mindset on defense, and it cost us. I'm always glad to win, and I'm really proud of the guys there, but we need to put four quarters together.” Marion kept pace in a crowded 5A East chase by allowing the visiting Pioneers to connect on just 14 of 41 field-goal attempts in the contest, five of which came in the fourth quarter after the outcome had been decided. The Patriots got 11 points apiece from Lyndell Buckingham and LaDaryl Robinson, while David Brewer pumped in seven points. Robinson also pulled down seven rebounds, while Mikell Lewis recorded five caroms. Buckingham dished out four assists. Batesville (6-14, 1-6) got a game-high 12 points from Shane Dunlap, nine points from Brayden Davis, and eight points from Talen Foree. Marion scored the first eight points against Batesville, beginning with a Brewer three-pointer, followed by a Kayden Nesbitt runner, and when Robinson scored a layup, drew a foul, and made the free throw, Marion led 8-0 with 4:52 left in the first frame. But Batesville immediately ripped off a 9-1 run to get within 9-7 before Marion finished the opening frame with a Buckingham layup and an impressive Lewis steal that led to a thunderous dunk for a 13-7 Patriot advantage that doubled as the tally after a quarter. The Pioneers worked within 15-14 on a Rafael Thomas jump shot with 3:34 left in the second stanza, but Buckingham scored three straight points, followed by a Brewer jumper, and a pair of Lewis free throws gave Marion a 22-14 halftime lead. A Jalen White layup to open the third-period scoring gave Marion its first double-digit lead of the night, and the hosts led 32-21 after three quarters following a Brewer layup. Marion's lead hit 17 points twice in the fourth period, first on a Buckingham floater and again on a Jackson Black stickback, and the Pats settled for a 15-point victory. WHAT'S NEXT? Marion opens its second run through 5A East play on Friday night at West Memphis. The evening begins at 5 p.m. with a junior varsity boys game, followed by the varsity girls contest around 6 p.m., and then the varsity boys game at approximately 7:30 p.m. The West Memphis ballgames can be viewed live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network YouTube channel. 5A EAST RESULTS FROM 1/30 Marion 50, Batesville 35 Nettleton 65, Paragould 50 Valley View 55, W. Memphis 36 Searcy 73, Greene Co. Tech 60 5A EAST STANDINGS ON 1/31 SCHOOL CONF. RECORD MARION 6-1 Nettleton 6-1 Valley View 5-2 W. Memphis 4-3 Searcy 3-4 Greene Co. Tech 1-6 Paragould 1-6 Batesville 1-6 Top four teams make state tournament in Searcy 5A EAST GAMES ON 2/2 Marion at W. Memphis Nettleton at Greene Co. Tech Valley View at Batesville Searcy at Paragould