By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Lady Red Devils got their fourth win of the season Tuesday night, beating Little Rock Hall 38-32 and improving to 4-5 on the year. Jacksonville ran out to a big early lead, but Hall came back and led briefly in the fourth quarter, but reserve guard Sherice Randel provided a surprising spark that lifted Jacksonville to the win.
Hall took its lead by scoring the first five points of the final frame to go up 29-28, but Jacksonville closed the game with a 10-3 run to seal the win.
Both teams got out of the gate slowly. The score was stuck at 5-2 until 1:20 left in the quarter when junior Tyra Terry hit a three pointer. Hall didn’t score a field goal until 13 seconds later when Kyla Jackson hit a running jumper that set the score for the end of the period.
The Lady Red Devils began to pick up ball pressure at midcourt in the second quarter, and Hall had no immediate answer. Jacksonville forced three straight turnovers and scored five points off those turnovers to push its lead to 13-4 just a minute into the second frame.
The margin stayed in that range for the rest of the period, and the two teams went into halftime with Jacksonville leading 22-13.
Hall then began pressuring the ball in the third quarter, and Jacksonville likewise began to turn it over.
In all, the Lady Devils gave it up 13 times in the third quarter alone, and managed just six points in the quarter. They still led 28-24 at the end of the third, but they would relinquish that lead with 6:40 left in the game when a basket by Brianna Tillman tied it at 28-28.
Hall took its first lead with 5:22 left on a free throw by Tillman.
The two teams then traded foul shots, and Jacksonville took the lead back for good on a bucket by Randel with 3:14 left in the game.
Less than a minute later after a Jacksonville defensive stop, Randel missed, post player Kita Walker got the rebound and missed, and Randel scavenged her miss for a putback and a 33-30 Jacksonville lead with 2:30 left.
Terry then got a steal and fed Walker for a layup to make it 35-30 with 1:30 remaining in the game.
Shandrice Walton answered for Hall to make it 35-32 with 54 seconds remaining, and the Lady Warriors were forced to begin fouling.
Jacksonville made just two of four foul shots in the final seconds, but kept Hall from scoring to secure the win.
Randel led the Lady Devils with 10 points, all of which came in the second half, including six of the final eight points of the game.
Kita Walker scored six points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Terry followed her double double of assists and rebounds against North Pulaski with another solid statistical game. She finished with five points, six boards, six steals, three assists and three blocks.
Sophomore post player Jessica Lanier finished with nine points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
Latrice Walton led Hall with nine points and 10 rebounds.
Jacksonville finished with 28 turnovers, but only three in the fourth quarter.
Hall had 29 giveaways.
Jacksonville is off until it opens the Red Devil Classic at 2:30 p.m. Thursday against Pine Bluff Dollarway.
