Lewis, a 6-foot-2 forward from Clinton, Miss., signed a NCAA Division I letter of intent on Tuesday to play basketball for the Ole Miss Lady Rebels.

The highly-recruited Lewis, who was a two-year starter for the Lady Lions, also considered North Carolina State University, the University of Miami (Fla.) and Middle Tennessee State University.

Lewis is the fourth Lady Lions sophomore to sign with a four-year university in the past week. Tanisha Smith, a 5-10 combo guard from Kansas City, Mo., signed with Texas A&M University, Elisa Shoate, a 5-9 forward from Spiro, Okla., signed with the University of Cincinnati and Candice Nelson, a 6-4 post from Port-au-Spain, Trinidad, signed with NCAA Division II Lock Haven University.

That sophomore class helped lead the Lady Lions to a 34-2 record, the Bi-State Conference East Division championship, the NJCAA Region II tournament championship, a third-place finish in the NJCAA national tournament and a No. 2 final regular-season ranking.

Lewis, who played in 35 of the Lady Lions’ 36 games this past season, averaged a team-high 20.5 points per game and was ranked ninth in the nation in scoring. She also led the team in rebounding with 8.7 boards per game and was ranked 43rd in the nation.

She also shot a team-high 54.7 percent (276 of 505) from the field.

Lewis was named first team All-Conference and All-Region and was a member of the NJCAA Region II All-Tournament Team and the NJCAA national tournament All-Tournament Team. She also was named a NJCAA second team All-American.

“Katorra was All-Conference and All-Region and was on the All-Tournament Team at the region and national tournaments. She was a second team All-American,” UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton said. “She really developed into a good low-post player.”

As a freshman, Lewis averaged 19 points and 8.7 rebounds and was named first team All-Conference and All-Region. She helped lead the Lady Lions to an 18-12 record, the Bi-State Conference East Division title and the NJCAA Region II tournament semifinals.

Ole Miss, which is coached by Renee Ladner, competes in the ultra-tough Southeastern Conference. The Lady Rebels finished 13-16 overall and 6-8 in the SEC West Division this past season – Ladner’s first at the school as head coach.

Lewis is the latest recruit to officially commit to Ole Miss. Last week, Ladner signed 5-10 guard Whitney Hameth of Dumas, Ark., and Tori Slusher, a 6-3 post from Wichita Falls, Texas, who played the past two seasons at Midland College.

Lee, a 6-foot forward from Watson Chapel High School, and Key, a 5-9 forward from Delight High School, signed NJCAA letters of intent to play basketball for the Lady Lions on Monday afternoon during ceremonies at their respective high schools.

Lee averaged 14 points and six rebounds per game while leading the Lady Wildcats to the Class 6A state championship. She had 13 points and five rebounds and hit the game-winning shot to lift Watson Chapel (24-5) past West Memphis 48-46 in the state title game, earning MVP honors.

“We think she is one of the Top 10 players in the state, being the MVP of the state tournament,” Whorton said. “She was being recruited by a lot of people, and we were very fortunate to convince her that this was the place to continue her basketball career and her academics.”

The All-State performer shot 57 percent (157 of 275) from the field, including 68.8 percent (11 of 16) from 3-point range. She also shot 76 percent (86 of 113) at the free-throw line.

“We like her versatility,” said Whorton of Lee, who was named to the Pine Bluff Commercial’s All-Area first team. “She’s long and lean and can run. She can play different positions and is developing an outside shot. She can take the ball to the hole.

“She just seems to go after every rebound. She will fit nicely in our up-tempo style of basketball.”

Key averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks per game while leading the Lady Bulldogs to a 33-8 record and a berth in the Class 3A state tournament. She was named All-Conference and was a member of the All-Region Tournament Team and the All-State Tournament Team.

Key, who was a four-year starter, also was a McDonald’s All-American nominee.

“She’s got long arms, and she’s gifted with a lot of speed,” Whorton said. “She’s very athletic, and for what we’re trying to do here with our pressure defense and our running offense, we think she will be able to contribute right away.”

UA Fort Smith is coming off one of its best seasons in the history of the program. The Lady Lions finished 34-2, won the Bi-State Conference East Division championship and the NJCAA Region II tournament championship.

The Lady Lions reached the Final Four of the NJCAA national tournament and finished third overall, losing only to eventual national champion Gulf Coast Community College in the semifinals.

UA Fort Smith, which finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in the nation, had two NJCAA All-Americans on this past season’s team and so far this spring has had two players sign with major NCAA Division I schools.

The 5-foot-10 combo guard was recruited by almost every major NCAA Division I program, but in the end, one was finally able to sway the Kansas City, Mo., native to play for their team – Texas A&M University.

Smith made her decision official on Tuesday afternoon, signing a letter of intent to play basketball for the Aggies during a news conference at the Stubblefield Center. She joined teammates Elisa Shoate of Spiro, Okla., and Candice Nelson of Port-au-Spain, Trinidad, in signing letters of intent.

Shoate, a 5-9 forward, signed with the University of Cincinnati, and Nelson, a 6-4 post, signed with Division II Lock Haven University.

The sophomore class helped lead the Lady Lions to a 34-2 record, the Bi-State Conference East Division championship, the NJCAA Region II tournament championship and a third-place finish in the NJCAA national tournament.

It will be Smith’s second opportunity to play Division I basketball. She played her freshman season at the University of Arkansas before transferring to UA Fort Smith for her sophomore season.

Smith will be reunited with former Arkansas assistant coach Johnnie Harris. Harris, who recruited Smith to Arkansas out of Lincoln Prep Academy in Kansas City, just finished her first season as assistant coach at Texas A&M.

“That was one of the big factors. Coach Harris recruited me at Arkansas, and I know what she is all about,” Smith said. “That was one of the factors I considered when I looked at the schools – relationships with the coaches.”

Smith was recruited by several major Division I programs and narrowed her final choices to Texas A&M, Georgia, Cincinnati and Kentucky.

“It will be a good opportunity for me and my family,” Smith said. “They play in the Big 12. I’m from Missouri, and there are a lot of Big 12 schools around there. This will be a good opportunity for my family to get to see me play.”

Texas A&M, which is coached by former Arkansas coach Gary Blair, finished 29-8 this past season, setting a school record for wins in a season. The Aggies won their first Big 12 tournament championship and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament for the first time.

The Aggies also finished the regular season with a No. 8 national ranking – the highest in the program’s history.

“Texas A&M is getting a great kid and a great player,” UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton said. “She’s going to have a familiar face in coach Harris and a great coach in Gary Blair. “She’s going to fit in well with that league (Big 12). I know College Station is a long way from home for her, but they play Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State, so her family will have a lot of opportunities to see her play.”

Smith played in all 36 of the Lady Lions’ games this past season. She was second on the team in scoring with 18.2 points per game and fourth in rebounding with 5.2 rebounds. She led the team with 104 steals and was third with 106 assists. She made a team-high 71 3-pointers and shot 40.8 percent (71 of 174) from 3-point range.

She was 16th in the nation in scoring, was ranked 24th in the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage and was ranked in the Top 25 in steals.

Smith was named first team All-Conference, was the Region II regular-season MVP and was the Region II tournament MVP. She also was named to the NJCAA national tournament All-Tournament team.

“She played every position, sometimes during the same game,” Whorton said. “She played the point, she played the wing and she even played center. She never complained and did the best she could. As the year went on, she got more confident as she got used to our system.

“At the beginning of the year, she believed she was one of the best players in the country, and by the end of the year, she knew she was one of the best players in the country.”

Shoate, a two-year starter, played in 35 games this past season. She was third on the team in scoring with 13.9 points per game and was second on the team in rebounding with 7.1 rebounds per game.

She was third on the team in steals with 69 and fourth on the team in assists with 67. She shot 43.3 percent (145 of 335) from the field and 78.5 percent (139 of 177) from the free-throw line. She was second on the team in 3-pointers made with 56 and ranked 25th in the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage, making 39.7 percent.

“She’s a great student and a great basketball player,” Whorton said. “I think Elisa Shoate gets more out of her talent than 99 percent of the players playing basketball in America today. She does it because she plays so hard. That’s every day, every possession. In the two years she’s been with us, I can never remember her having a bad practice, and I can never remember her having a bad game. … There’s never been a practice or a game where she didn’t come and give all out effort.”

Shoate, who was named first team All-Conference and All-Region, also considered Mercer University, North Carolina State and Tennessee Tech.

Cincinnati, which is coached by J. Kelley Hall, competes in the Big East Conference. The Bearcats finished 12-16 overall and 2-13 in conference play this past season – Hall’s first at the school.

Shoate will reunite with former UA Fort Smith assistant coach Tari Cummings, who just finished her first season as assistant coach at Cincinnati.

“It was somewhere where I felt like I would fit,” Shoate said. “Plus, they have a med school, which I really liked. They are ranked somewhere just in the Top 40 of the med schools in the nation.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but at the same time, when I walked on campus I just knew that’s where I wanted to go. It was pretty easy making my decision after the visit.”

Nelson played in 33 games and averaged four points and 3.4 rebounds per game. She shot 43.2 percent (54 of 125) from the field and 60.5 percent (23 of 38) from the free-throw line. She had 25 steals and six assists.

“Candice has been a pleasure to coach,” Whorton said. “She came to UA Fort Smith with a larger background in net ball than she did basketball. In spite of her injuries – she’s had bad knees ever since she’s been here – she’s given us some excellent minutes.

“She’s a kid of great character. She’s worked hard in practice and made other people around her better. When given the opportunity in games, she’s had some outstanding games.”

Lock Haven, which is coached by Jennifer Smith, competes in the West Division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The Lady Eagles finished 7-19 overall and 2-10 in the West Division of the PSAC this past season – Smith’s first at the school.

“We’re really pleased with where she’s going. One of the things she’s struggles with is her knees – they’re not real strong – and one of Lock Haven’s largest curriculums is athletic training,” Whorton pointed out. “They have an abundance of student trainers, so they will have one with her every day during her workouts. They go into nutrition, personal training and things like that. It’s really going to be an ideal situation for her to improve over the next two years.”

Smith, a 5-foot-10 guard, was named a first team All-American, while Lewis, a 6-2 forward, was named a second team All-American.

The duo helped lead the Lady Lions to a 34-2 win-loss record, the Bi-State Conference East Division championship, the Region II tournament championship and a third-place finish in the NJCAA national tournament.

“A lot of schools have never had an All-American. To have two on one team is special,” UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton said. “They are two special athletes. Both on and off the floor, they were All-Americans for us this year. … It’s kind of a payback for them, and it’s a compliment to the players they had around them because it’s always been our philosophy that you’re only as good as your team is. If your team is successful, then the individual rewards will come.”

Smith played in all 36 of the Lady Lions’ games and averaged 18.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. She led the team with 104 steals, was third on the team with 106 assists and made a team-high 71 3-pointers.

She was ranked 16th in the nation in scoring, was ranked 24th in 3-point field-goal percentage (40.1) and was ranked in the Top 25 in steals per game.

The Kansas City, Mo., native was named first team All-Conference and first team All-Region. She was the Region II regular-season MVP and the Region II tournament MVP and was named to the NJCAA national tournament All-Tournament Team.

The highly-recruited Smith has narrowed her college choices to Texas A&M, Cincinnati, Georgia and Kentucky.

“There at the end, she got to where she wanted the ball in her hands at clutch times, and that’s just a matter of confidence,” Whorton said. “Earlier in the year, she didn’t have that kind of confidence in herself. At the end of the year, she wanted the ball in her hands to create something with it.”

Lewis, a two-year starter, played in 35 of the Lady Lions’ 36 games this past season and averaged a team-high 20.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. She also shot a team-best 54.7 percent from the field.

The Clinton, Miss., native was ninth in the nation in scoring and was named first team All-Conference and first team All-Region and was named to the NJCAA Region II tournament All-Tournament Team and the NJCAA national tournament All-Tournament Team.

She has narrowed her college choices to Miami, Middle Tennessee State, Ole Miss and North Carolina State.

“Katorra is the best kid at posting up that we’ve had here, probably. She battles so hard to get open and wants the ball so bad because she’s such a competitor,” Whorton said. “She worked extremely hard in the offseason, and she went from being a good post player to being a great post player.”

Smith and Lewis were two of five Bi-State Conference players to earn All-American honors. Northern Oklahoma College-Enid’s Rose Anderson and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M’s Denise Rosario and Megan Fraley were named honorable mention All-Americans.

So, it really was no surprise that the two highly-recruited Lady Lions were named to the all-tournament team after helping lead UA Fort Smith to a third-place finish.

Smith, a 5-foot-10 guard from Kansas City, Mo., averaged 18 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.8 steals per game during the tournament. Smith scored a high of 22 points twice in the tournament during wins against Barton County Community College and College of Southern Idaho.

She also shot 39.7 percent (29 of 73) from the field, including 43.5 percent (10 of 23) from 3-point range, for the tournament.

Lewis, a 6-2 forward from Clinton, Miss., averaged 19.8 points and seven rebounds per game in the tournament. She scored a high of 26 points in the win against Barton County and had a high of 13 rebounds against Southern Idaho.

She also shot 42.7 percent (32 of 75) from the field for the tournament.

Gulf Coast Community College’s Dee Liles, who is bound for Maryland, was named the tournament MVP. Also on the 13-member all-tournament team was Jackie Sanders and Janae Stokes of Gulf Coast Community College, Courtney Sturdivant and Kristine Silaraja of Barton County Community College, Lyrell Barfield of Midland College, Maddy Plunkett of College of Southern Idaho, Danielle Adams of Jefferson College and Ashley Sours, Tenaya Watson and Lonnie Sanchez of Central Arizona College.

Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel was named coach of the tournament.

Good Sports

The Lady Lions didn’t have any trouble attracting a local following during the tournament, charming their tournament hosts, members of the local media and even an aspiring dirt track racer working at the local Subway.

UA Fort Smith’s pleasant and courteous demeanor on and off the court and their work ethic didn’t go unnoticed. The Lady Lions were awarded the prestigious Alberta Lee Cox Sportsmanship Award by the tournament officials following Saturday night’s championship game.

Cox, the proclaimed “First Lady of Basketball,” was the first woman to coach a U.S. Olympic team sport and the first woman to coach a U.S. women’s basketball team on foreign soil.

She coached the U.S. women’s team in the 1967 World Tournament in Czechoslovakia and the 1967 Pan American Games.

Guts And Glory

Given a little time, even the most diehard fan might look back at UA Fort Smith’s 91-89 overtime win against Barton County in the third-place game and wonder, “How did that happen?”

UA Fort Smith trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half against Barton County and rallied to lead by as many as 12 points in the second half. Then, the Lady Lions had to fend off a late rally by the Lady Cougars to win in the extra period.

If that’s not enough to have you scratching your head, consider this.

Barton County’s Kristine Silaraja scored a tournament-high 38 points – she was 8 of 10 from 3-point range – and teammate Ipek Turkylimaz had a triple double (16 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) in a losing effort.

And, UA Fort was once again out-rebounded (40-36) but still won.

“I was proud of the kids,” UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton said. “There’s no quit in them.”

Missing Link

UA Fort Smith survived its overtime battle with Barton County despite not having point guard Marisah Henderson in the lineup.

Henderson, who played a pivotal role in the Lady Lions winning the Region II tournament championship and reaching the semifinals of national tournament, did not suit up for Saturday’s third-place game.

Bothered by a severe finger injury throughout the early rounds of the tournament, Henderson, a defensive juggernaut and quick-thinking floor general, sat the bench in street clothes and cheered for her teammates.

Henderson, a 5-3 sophomore from Kansas City, Kan., still averaged 5.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3 steals during the first three games despite playing with a heavily bandaged finger.

A Bunch Of Wins

The Lady Lions’ overtime win against Barton County was their 34th victory of the season and earned this particular team the distinction of having the second-most wins in a season in the 32-year history of the program.

Only the 1995 national championship team, which went 35-0, has more wins.

This UA Fort Smith team also finished tied for the second-fewest losses in the program’s history. The Lady Lions lost only two games – to Northern Oklahoma College-Enid and Gulf Coast Community College – which ties them with the 1994 national runner-up team (32-2) and the 2003 Region II tournament runner-up team (26-2).

Did You Know?

UA Fort Smith has seven national tournament appearances – all coming during coach Louis Whorton’s 22-year tenure. Whorton is 21-7 in national tournament games, and his teams have finished no worse than seventh place.

Whorton finished his 22nd season with an overall career record of 530-171 – a 76 percent winning percentage.

Gulf Coast, which beat UA Fort Smith in Friday’s semifinals, went on to beat previously undefeated Central Arizona College 62-61 in the championship game.

Lady Lions sophomore forward Elisa Shoate averaged 15 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and two steals per game during the tournament, and after her gutsy effort against Barton County – she had 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals, the Spiro, Okla., native received two NCAA Division I scholarship offers.

After having their national championship hopes crushed by Gulf Coast Community College during Friday’s semifinals, the Lady Lions rallied from an 18-point first-half deficit to beat the Barton County Community College Lady Cougars 91-89 in overtime Saturday in the third-place game of the NJCAA women’s national basketball tournament.

“I’m proud of our kids,” UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton said. “There’s no quit in these kids.”

It is the second-most wins in a season in school history. UA Fort Smith won 35 games during the 1995 undefeated national championship season. It’s also the second third-place finish in the program’s 32-year history – the Lady Lions finished third in 2005, beating South Plains College 66-65 on a buzzer-beating layup.

UA Fort Smith continued its streak of playing on the final day of the tournament. The Lady Lions have won one national championship and finished second once, third twice, fourth once and seventh twice in their seven trips to the tournament.

The Lady Lions trailed 39-34 at halftime but rallied behind the hot hand of sophomore guard Tanisha Smith of Kansas City, Mo.

Smith took the game over with about 12 minutes left in the second half, sinking three 3-pointers in near-succession. Her last one of the trio gave the Lady Lions a 57-54 lead with under 11 minutes left.

UA Fort Smith pushed its lead to 12 points on a bucket by freshman guard Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., with under five minutes left, but Barton County rallied with a 16-4 run over the final four minutes to tie the game at 77 points on a layup by freshman guard Kristine Silaraja of Ventspils, Latvia, with four-tenths of a second left to force overtime.

The Lady Lions trailed by as many as four points in overtime, but they took the lead for good 90-89 on a 3-pointer by sophomore forward Elisa Shoate of Spiro, Okla., with one minute left.

Sophomore guard Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., hit one of two free throws with 8.8 ticks left to give UA Fort Smith a 91-89 lead.

Barton County worked the ball up the floor and called timeout with 4.4 seconds left. Silaraja then drove strong to the hoop but couldn’t get her shot off before the buzzer sounded, finally sealing the Lady Lions’ win.

Sophomore forward Katorra Lewis of Clinton, Miss., sparked the Lady Lions in overtime, scoring six of her team-high 26 points. Smith chipped in 22 points, and Shoate added 18 points.

Silaraja wasn’t perfect shooting from the field in the first half, but she was close.

She hit 9 of 12 shots from the field, including an eye-catching 7 of 8 shots from 3-point range in tallying 25 first-half points. Her hot shooting helped Barton County shoot 50 percent (16 of 32) from the field and build as much as an 18-point lead.

Silaraja finished with a tournament-high 38 points on 14-of-19 shooting from the field, including an 8-of-10 effort from 3-point range.

UA Fort Smith shook off Barton County’s initial scoring jab and outscored the Lady Cougars 19-6 over the last eight minutes, including an 8-0 run to end the half.

Lewis sparked the run with six of her nine first-half points to help the Lady Lions whittle their deficit to only five points (39-34) at halftime despite shooting only 34 percent (14 of 41) from the field.

NJCAA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT THIRD PLACE GAME

UA FORT SMITH 91, BARTON COUNTY CC 89

Barton County (34-4): Silaraja 38, Turkyilmaz 16, Halsig 12, Hillman 8, Sturdivant 8, Muciniece 7.

UA Fort Smith (34-2): Lewis 26, Smith 22, Shoate 18, Johnson 9, Nelson 5, Kemp 4, Sanders 4, Arnold 3.

Givands scored 17 of her team-high 21 points in the second half to lead the No. 3 seed Lady Commodores to a 72-67 win against the No. 2 seed Lady Lions on Friday night in the semifinals of the NJCAA women’s national basketball tournament.

UA Fort Smith (33-2) saw its 21-game winning streak end, but the Lady Lions can end the season with a win in today’s third-place game.

The Lady Lions will play the loser of Friday’s second semifinal game between Central Arizona College and Barton County Community College at 5 p.m. at the Bicentennial Center.

The game will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1, KHGG-AM 1580 and www.sportsinthefort.com.

Gulf Coast (35-1) will play the winner of the Central Arizona College-Barton County Community College game at 7 p.m. in the championship game.

It was the second time the Lady Commodores ruined the Lady Lions’ title hopes. Gulf Coast beat UA Fort Smith in the 2004 tournament semifinals.

Givands had just four points in the first half as UA Fort Smith took a 32-29 lead into the locker room at halftime, but the 5-foot-9 sophomore from Memphis, Tenn., hit 6 of 10 shots in the final 20 minutes to give the Lady Commodores the offensive spark they needed.

UA Fort Smith led 54-52 on a layup by freshman guard Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., with 7:51 left, but Gulf Coast guard Janae Stokes drained her fifth 3-pointer to give the Lady Commodores the lead with 6:37 left.

Givands followed with another pull-up jumper to make it 57-55 and fuel a 7-0 game-breaking spurt. Givands scored 13 of Gulf Coast’s final 17 points, including a pair of game-sealing free-throws with 11.3 seconds left. She was 5-of-7 shooting at the line and had eight rebounds, too.

Givands’ hot hand helped the Lady Commodores shoot a sizzling 53.3 percent (16 of 30) from the field in the second half and 42.2 percent (27 of 64) for the game.

Gulf Coast sophomore forward Dee Liles, who is bound for Maryland, chipped in 11 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, and sophomore forward Jackie Sanders, who is bound for Kentucky, added 10 points and nine rebounds. The pair helped the Lady Commodores out-rebound the Lady Lions 46-36. Gulf Coast had 18 offensive rebounds that led to 16 second-chance points.

Gulf Coast held UA Fort Smith to just 34-percent shooting (22 of 64) from the field and kept the Lady Lions well under their 92 points-per-game average. It was the fewest points scored by the Lady Lions since scoring 65 points against Coffeyville Community College on Nov. 23.

Sophomore Katorra Lewis of Clinton, Miss., led the Lady Lions with 16 points, while sophomore Tanisha Smith of Kansas City, Mo., chipped in 14 points – she was held to just four points in the second half.

Sophomore Elisa Shoate added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds despite playing through foul trouble. UA Fort Smith battled foul trouble throughout the game – five players had two fouls apiece in the first half – and Johnson eventually fouled out with 11 seconds left.

NJCAA WOMEN’S NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

GULF COAST CC 72, UA FORT SMITH 67

UA Fort Smith (33-2): Lewis 16, Smith 14, Shoate 13, Johnson 9, Henderson 7, Sanders 6, Arnold 2.

Gulf Coast (35-1): Givands 21, Stokes 19, Liles 11, Sanders 10, Kelly 4, Gordon 3, Ogletree 2, Johnson 2.

The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Lady Lions balanced their early hot perimeter shooting with a physical inside scoring attack to beat College of Southern Idaho 80-63 on Wednesday night in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA national women’s basketball tournament.

No. 2 seed UA Fort Smith (33-1) will play No. 3 seed Gulf Coast Community College (34-1) at 6 p.m. on Friday in the semifinals at the Bicentennial Center in Salina, Kan. It will be a rematch of the 2004 national tournament semifinal game won by Gulf Coast.

Southern Idaho (31-3) will play Jefferson College (28-2) at 4 p.m. today. The best the Lady Eagles can finish is third.

The Lady Lions’ win avenged their previous loss to the Lady Eagles – a 74-65 setback in the semifinals of the 2005 national tournament. UA Fort Smith went on to beat South Plains College 66-65 on a buzzer-beating layup to win the third-place game, and Southern Idaho lost to Central Arizona College in the championship game.

Sophomore guard Tanisha Smith of Kansas City, Mo., hit for 22 points, most coming on layups from dribble penetration and pull-up jump shots, and sophomore forward Katorra Lewis of Clinton, Miss., did the damage inside with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

Sophomore forward Elisa Shoate of Spiro, Okla., added 10 points – she sank two of the Lady Lions eight 3-pointers – and had eight rebounds.

UA Fort Smith scored 36 points in the paint and had 24 points from beyond the 3-point arc. The Lady Lions shot 40 percent (31 of 77) from the field, including 35 percent (8 of 23) from 3-point range.

UA Fort Smith used its perimeter shooting to keep pace with Southern Idaho’s rugged half-court offense early. Five of the Lady Lions’ first six buckets were 3-pointers, and they hit seven treys in all (7 of 16) in the first half.

The Lady Lions’ pressure defense and fast-paced style of play took its toll late in the half. After Southern Idaho cut its deficit to 28-27 on a bucket by freshman Maddy Plunkett – the last of her 17 first-half points – UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton called timeout with 3:56 left in the half.

After the quick timeout, Smith drained her second 3-pointer that triggered a half-ending 14-0 run by the Lady Lions, who led 42-27 at the break. UA Fort Smith’s momentum-swinging spurt was aided by a technical foul against Southern Idaho coach Randy Rogers with 39 seconds left in the half. It was the first of two technical fouls assessed against College of Southern Idaho during the game.

Southern Idaho never recovered.

The Lady Eagles got no closer than 11 points in the second half and twice trailed by as many as 22 points – the last time coming on a bucket by Smith that made it 74-52.

Southern Idaho shot only 41 percent (23 of 56) from the field and just 14 percent (2 of 14) from 3-point range. The Lady Eagles committed 24 turnovers, which the Lady Lions converted into 24 points.

After a strong first half, Plunkett, a 6-foot-2 post, hit for only eight points in the second half and finished with a team-high 25 points and seven rebounds. Freshman post Soana Lucet had a team-high eight rebounds to lead the Lady Eagles, who despite an overwhelming size advantage was out-rebounded 44-40.

UA Fort Smith had 21 offensive rebounds, which led to 13 second-chance points.

NJCAA WOMEN’S NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

QUARTERFINALS

UA FORT SMITH 80, SOUTHERN IDAHO 63

UA Fort Smith (33-1): Smith 22, Lewis 19, Shoate 10, Johnson 7, Sanders 7, Henderson 6, Arnold 6, Kemp 3.

Southern Idaho (31-3): Plunkett 25, Pringle-Buchanan 9, Lucet 8, Burdick 8, Tremayne 6, Higbee 5, Ornelas 2.

The No. 2 seed Lady Lions forced 28 turnovers on their way to a convincing 87-63 win against the No. 15 seed Lady Royals on Tuesday afternoon during the first round of the NJCAA women’s national tournament.

UA Fort Smith (32-1) will play No. 7 seed College of Southern Idaho (31-2) in the quarterfinals at 8 p.m. today at the Bicentennial Center in Salina, Kan. College of Southern Idaho held on to beat Walters State Community College 62-53 in its first-round game on Tuesday.

It was the 20th-consecutive win for the Lady Lions, who finished the regular season as the No. 2-ranked team in the nation, and their second win in as many opportunities against the Lady Royals.

UA Fort Smith beat Lake Region State 83-68 in the first round of the 2005 national tournament. The Lady Lions lost to College of Southern Idaho 74-65 in the semifinals but beat South Plains College 66-65 to win the third-place game.

“Our kids played well, especially that first half,” UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton said. “We were moving pretty good defensively.”

The Lady Lions’ defensive effort wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary – they were averaging 27.5 turnovers per game going into the tournament – but they were able to turn the Lady Royals’ miscues into several easy buckets.

UA Fort Smith scored a gaudy 35 points off Lake Region State turnovers, which helped the Lady Lions shoot 41 percent (33 of 81) from the field.

Eight Lady Lions had at least one steal with sophomore point guard Marisah Henderson of Kansas City, Kan., leading the onslaught with four steals. Sophomore guard Tanisha Smith of Kansas City, Mo., had three steals, as did freshman guard Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., and freshman Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark.

Lake Region State shot just 37 percent (22 of 59) from the field, but the Lady Royals sank eight 3-pointers (8 of 23). Freshman guard Elinor Avny scorched the nets for a team-high 21 points, including five 3-pointers. Avny and freshman Callie Hanson, who hit for 11 points, were the only Lady Royals to score in double-figures.

Lady Royals freshman post Kate Sharkova, who stands 6-foot-5, had been averaging double-figures in scoring but was held to only four points because of near-constant defensive pressure from Lady Lions sophomores Katorra Lewis of Clinton, Miss., and Candice Nelson of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

The Lady Lions were held just under their nation’s-best 92.8 points-per-game average.

Sophomore forward Elisa Shoate of Spiro, Okla., led the Lady Lions with 19 points. Shoate, who hit five of the Lady Lions’ 11 3-pointers, also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Lewis chipped in 18 points and six rebounds, and Smith added 14 points.

Despite an obvious height disadvantage, UA Fort Smith was only out-rebounded 48-44 by Lake Region State. Still, the Lady Royals only scored eight second-chance points off 12 offensive rebounds.

It didn’t take long for UA Fort Smith’s defensive pressure and overall quickness to overwhelm Lake Region State – only about seven minutes to be exact.

Lake Region State pulled within 13-9 on a pair of free throws by Kallie Erickson with 13:16 left in the first half, but UA Fort Smith answered with an 18-0 scoring run that turned the game into an early runaway.

Shoate, Smith, Johnson and Henderson all had steals during the game-changing spurt that eventually helped the Lady Lions take a 49-27 halftime lead.

UA Fort Smith’s hot shooting – the Lady Lions shot 51 percent in the first half – cooled off a bit in the second half, but the Lady Lions still led by as many as 29 points with about eight minutes left.

“The first 20 minutes we weren’t giving them those open looks at the 3-point shot. At the end, we were giving them that,” Whorton said. “We learned a little bit about national tournament play, and we came away with a win. So, we feel really good about it.”

Lewis topped off a 9-0 spurt over a two-minute stretch that gave the Lady Lions a 73-44 advantage, and Lake Region State never got closer than 21 points in the final eight minutes.

NJCAA WOMEN’S NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

UA FORT SMITH 87, LAKE REGION STATE 63

Lake Region (26-7): Avny 21, Hanson 11, Keller 8, Mertens 7, Savic 7, Erickson 5, Sharkova 4.

UA Fort Smith (32-1): Shoate 19, Lewis 18, Smith 14, Johnson 9, Arnold 9, Kemp 6, Henderson 4, Sanders 4, Nelson 4.

UA Fort Smith (31-1) will play No. 15 seed Lake Region State (26-6) of Devils Lake, N.D., at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, in the first round at the Bicentennial Center in Salina, Kan.

Central Arizona College (31-0), which finished the regular-season ranked No. 1 in the nation, is the No. 1 seed and will play No. 16 seed Georgia Perimeter College (19-14) at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

In other first round action on Tuesday, No. 3 seed Gulf Coast Community College (32-1) will play No. 14 seed Western Nebraska Community College (30-4) at 10 a.m., No. 6 seed Jefferson College (31-1) will play No. 11 seed Monroe Community College (20-7) at noon, No. 7 seed College of Southern Idaho (30-2) will play No. 10 seed Walters State Community College (29-4) at 2 p.m. and No. 5 seed Barton County Community College (32-2) will play No. 12 seed Shelton State Community College (28-4) at 8:15 p.m.

No. 8 seed Trinity Valley Community College (26-5) will play No. 9 seed Midland College (28-5) at noon on Wednesday, and No. 4 seed Southeastern Illinois College will play No. 13 seed East Central Community College (22-6) at 2 p.m.

“Just looking at the bracket, there may not be that super team in the tournament like there is some years where everybody looks at them says that’s the team to beat,” said UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton, who is 18-6 in national tournament games with one national championship and one runner-up.

“There are probably more good teams this year than there has been in a lot of years. Even the eighth and ninth seeds probably have a chance to win it because there are some great programs there.”

It will be the second meeting between UA Fort Smith and Lake Region State in the first round of the tournament. UA Fort Smith beat Lake Region State 83-68 in the first round of the 2005 national tournament.

The Lady Lions, then a No. 4 seed, lost to eventual national runner-up College of Southern Idaho 74-65 in the semifinals and beat South Plains College 66-65 in the third-place game. The Lady Royals, then a No. 13 seed, lost their first game of consolation play to No. 12 seed Walters State 87-70 and were eliminated.

Lake Region State will be making its fourth appearance in the national tournament. The Lady Royals’ previous tournament appearances were in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

The Lady Royals, who have nine freshmen on their 12-player roster, beat Williston State 60-49 to win the Region XIII tournament championship and qualify for the District D playoff. Lake Region State beat Region IV tournament champ Sauk Valley 67-53 on Tuesday night to advance to the national tournament.

“Their trademark is that they’re going to shoot a lot of threes and they’re going to run all day,” Whorton said. “They like to play an up-tempo game, and we do, too. So, it should be a high-scoring affair.”

UA Fort Smith, which is ranked No. 2 in the nation, won the Bi-State Conference East Division championship and beat No. 15-ranked Connors State 78-67 to win the Region II tournament championship.

The Lady Lions will be making their seventh appearance in the national tournament – all coming during Whorton’s 22-year watch – and their first since 2006, when they finished seventh and won the consolation championship.

UA Fort Smith has never finished worse than seventh in the tournament and won the 1995 national championship, finishing 35-0 after beating Trinity Valley Community College 82-75 in the title game.

It will be the second time the Lady Lions have entered the national tournament with 30 or more wins. The 1995 national championship team was 31-0 going into the tournament. The Lady Lions also will carry a 19-game winning streak into the tournament.

TUESDAY’S TICKET NJCAA WOMEN’S NATIONAL TOURNAMENT NO. 2 SEED UA FORT SMITH VS. NO. 15 SEED LAKE REGION STATE TIME: 4 p.m. SITE: Bicentennial Center, Salina, Kan. RANKINGS: UA Fort Smith, No. 2 NJCAA Division I; Lake Region State, Not Ranked RECORDS: UA Fort Smith, 31-1; Lake Region State, 26-6 COACHES: UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton; Lake Region State, Duane Schwab

NJCAA WOMEN’S NATIONAL TOURNAMENT March 18-22 Bicentennial Center, Salina, Kan.

Tuesday, March 18 Game 1: No. 3 Gulf Coast CC (32-1) vs. No. 14 Western Nebraska CC (30-4), 10 a.m. Game 2: No. 6 Jefferson College (31-1) vs. No. 11 Monroe CC (20-7), Noon Game 3: No. 7 College of Southern Idaho (30-2) vs. No. 10 Walters State CC (29-4), 2 p.m. Game 4: No. 2 UA Fort Smith (31-1) vs. No. 15 Lake Region State (26-6), 4 p.m. Game 5: No. 1 Central Arizona College (31-0) vs. No. 16 Georgia Perimeter College (19-14), 6:15 p.m. Game 7: No. 5 Barton County CC (32-2) vs. No. 12 Shelton State CC (28-4), 8:15 p.m.

Wednesday, March 19 Game 6: No. 8 Trinity Valley CC (26-5) vs. No. 9 Midland College (28-5), Noon Game 8: No. 4 Southeastern Illinois College (31-2) vs. No. 13 East Central CC (22-6), 2 p.m. Game 9: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 4 p.m. Game 10: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 6 p.m. Game 11: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 8 p.m.

Thursday, March 20 Game 12: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 10 a.m. Game 13: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, Noon Game 14: Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 2 p.m. Game 15: Loser Game 10 vs. Loser Game 11, 4 p.m. Game 16: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 6 p.m. Game 17: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 8 p.m.

Friday, March 21 Game 18: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 12, Noon Game 19: Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14, 2 p.m. Game 20: Loser Game 16 vs. Loser Game 17, 4 p.m. Game 21: Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 11, 6 p.m. Game 22: Winner Game 16 vs. Winner Game 17, 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 22 Seventh Place Game 23: Winner Game 18 vs. Winner Game 19, 1 p.m. Fifth Place Game 24: Winner Game 15 vs. Winner Game 20, 3 p.m. Third Place Game 25: Loser Game 21 vs. Loser Game 22, 5 p.m. Championship Game 26: Winner Game 21 vs. Winner Game 22, 7 p.m.