It's January 24, and the Marion Lady Patriots are getting ready to play their ninth “Biggest Game of the Year” contest so far in 2024-2025. As for the Marion men, the Pats continue to chug along following an early-season loss and remain very much involved in the 5A East race on the boys side. This is the January 24 edition of “The Shootaround.” If you're reading this on Friday, January 24, then Marion is hosting Batesville tonight inside Fidelity Bank Arena for a key 5A East doubleheader that will have a major impact on the rest of the conference race. If you can't join us inside Fidelity Bank Arena, please watch for free on MarionPatriots.com, on the MPAN YouTube channel, or on the MPAN mobile app. The junior varsity contests tip off at 5 p.m., followed by the girls around 6 p.m., and then the boys at approximately 7:30. Prior to the beginning of the basketball season, many pundits from across the state earmarked the 5A East girls league as Greene County Tech's to lose. And why not? The Lady Eagles earned the crown last year, and returned most of its firepower from that club, making Tech the easy choice for conference champion. Our Marion Patriots were farther down the line, however. On paper, West Memphis was more highly regarded, as was Nettleton, and perhaps Searcy. Maybe Marion could sneak in as the last playoff seed, but few predicted that. There was just no way that Shunda Johnson's Lady Patriots could overcome the odds to make a playoff run one year after missing the dance on a tiebreaker, right? Wrong. The Lady Patriots have done just that. Marion is in a flat-footed tie right now with Greene County Tech for first place in the 5A East, and while the Lady Patriots have had to win some close ones so far this season (wins over West Memphis, Nettleton, and Searcy by a combined 21 points), they have found a way to win them, with the West Memphis and Searcy contests coming away from home. Tonight's challenge from Batesville will be a tall one. The Lady Pioneers lost a tight game with West Memphis in the conference opener, but Batesville responded by routing Paragould last Friday and beating Nettleton on Tuesday to get to 2-1 in the 5A East with a game against Valley View still to be made up from the first run through league action. Marion has gotten contributions from many heroes this season during the 4-0 start to 5A East play as Jada Cheers, Madison Glaspie, Joniya Lewis, Ayanna Hayes, and Summer Morgan have sparked the offense with a balanced attack. The Patriot ladies have gotten a boost in January with the return of senior forwards Mariyah Rucks and Taniyah Bailey, who made their season debuts in back-to-back games over the past seven days. It's helped offset the absence of junior guard Jordyn Wilkerson, who was having a good season prior to her malady. Once Wilkerson returns, Marion's girls could have a deep rotation and be able to mix and match lineups depending on the game at hand. Marion's schedule doesn't ease up from here as the Lady Pats host Batesville tonight, followed by a road trip to Valley View on Tuesday, and then a home date with Greene County Tech on January 31 at Fidelity Bank Arena, where Marion dealt the Lady Eagles their first conference defeat last year in February. Marion's girls have been a pleasant surprise so far this season, and the boys have held up their end of the bargain to date, as well. Sammie Lewis's first season at the helm of Patriot Basketball is off to an ideal start. Marion gelled quickly in November and December to win a pair of holiday tournaments across the state and the Patriots are sitting at 3-1 so far in 5A East play, still very much in control of their own destiny for a conference title and seed in the state tournament. Lewis's Patriots have put together solid performances in their last two outings with double-digit victories in the past two games at Searcy and at Paragould. Even in Marion's one league loss so far this winter, a four-point home defeat to Nettleton, the Pats led by eight points going to the fourth quarter before the Raiders made the plays down the stretch to earn a dramatic victory. Marion's boys are getting contributions from all over the roster as Mikell Lewis, Chandler Randle, and Jalen Neal have all had their best seasons so far to date, while Dexter Higgins, Jr. and Korbin Littlejohn split time initiating the offense, Mykal Knighten and Jackson Black do the dirty work in and around the paint, and Rylan Johnson and Karlyal “Duck” Hyland stretch defenses from three-point range. At this time, everyone is buying in and handling their roles in the absence of junior all-conference performer LaDaryl Robinson, Jr., who's not played so far in conference action due to injury. Should Marion's rotation continue to produce and be able to add Robinson back in, the Patriots move from a very scary March matchup to a team that could make a deep run. But it has to start tonight as Batesville will be battling for its playoff lives, needing a big road win to jump-start the run. Then next week is ultra intriguing for Marion as the Patriots look to snap a two-game losing streak at Valley View on Tuesday before hosting old rival Greene County Tech on Friday. As always in this league, there are no off nights, and that especially rings true so far in 2025. STATE TOURNAMENT TO TECH Speaking of the 2025 Class 5A state basketball tournament, Marion's teams are far from locks right now on the girls or boys side, but should either or both clubs make the cut, then they would play inside Eagle Arena at Greene County Tech this season. The tournament runs March 4-8. In fact, should both teams make this bracket, then Marion would play its regular-season finale at Greene County Tech before playing potentially three games apiece back at Eagle Arena for the state tournament. 5A EAST GIRLS STANDINGS ON 1/24 SCHOOL CONF. RECORD Marion 4-0 Greene Co. Tech 4-0 Valley View 2-1 Batesville 2-1 W. Memphis 2-2 Nettleton 0-3 Searcy 0-3 Paragould 0-4 5A EAST BOYS STANDINGS ON 1/24 SCHOOL CONF. RECORD Nettleton 3-0 Valley View 3-0 Marion 3-1 Greene Co. Tech 3-1 W. Memphis 1-3 Paragould 1-3 Batesville 0-3 Searcy 0-3