Tester Earns First-Team All-Area

El Dorado News-Times article excerpt

Girls basketball in Union County was at an all-time high when it came to talent this season. Every team had at least one standout performer. However, there was a common theme that separated the 2001 News-Times Girls All-Area Basketball Team from the rest of the crowd - winning.

The 15 members of the All-Area Team come from six teams that had a combined record of 122-56. Those teams competed in seven tournament championship games, winning three, with two teams advancing to the state tournament. Each All-Area performer helped her team to a winning record.

Strong (23-7), which claimed the 7AA-South championship, led the way with four players named to the team. El Dorado (17-9), which won two tournaments and advanced to the Class AAAAA State Tournament, had three selections along with Union (28-12), which won the District Tournament championship and advanced to the Class AA State Tournament. Parkers Chapel (23-10), which finished second in the 7AA-South, had two players on the team. Smackover (16-8), which made it to the regionals, had two players on the team while Norphlet (15-10), which finished fifth in the league, had one representative.

The All-Area first team includes El Dorado's Falundrus Sims and Kristian Tester, Union's Tamyika Williams and Sharonda Davis and Smackover's Stacey Teasley.

Sims, a 6-2 senior, was El Dorado's big girl in the middle. She averaged a double-double for the second straight season and was the News-Times Defensive Player of the Year. She had 110 blocked shots.

"She's just so big. She's a real big presence around the basket," said Kingsland coach Mark Young. "When they got the ball in her hands, it was very difficult to stop her. She's very strong."

Williams, a 5-7 senior, led Union's surge down the stretch. The point guard was the big playmaker for the Lady Cyclones. She hit two free throws with no time left on the clock to beat Strong, hit two free throws with 8.3 seconds left to seal a win in the regional semifinal and hit two free throws with 21.2 seconds on the clock to seal a win in the district tournament.

"She's a slasher, a playmaker," said Young. "Watching them in the district tournament, I thought she made as many big plays as anybody in the tournament."

Teasley, a 5-0 senior, ran the show for Smackover, leading the Lady Bucks in scoring, assists, steals and, believe it or not, blocked shots. At her best in big games, she scored 21 in Smackover's come-from-behind win over Parkers Chapel in the district tournament, scored the game-winning bucket with .9 seconds left in a 53-52 win over Strong and had the key rebound and game-winning assist to beat Union.

"She's a little package of dynamite," said Union coach Gary Don Smith. "To me, she's what made Smackover click. When she was on her game, they were hard to beat."

Davis, a 5-9 junior, might've been the best all-around post player in the 7AA-South. She led the county in scoring, averaging a double-double for the Lady Cyclones. One of those double-doubles was a 24-point, 13-rebound effort in the district championship game. She was an All-State Tournament selection.

"She worked us over this year," said Strong coach Kendra Ferguson. "She's tough to handle in that paint, quick off her feet. I'd say she was the best post player in the league."

Tester, a 5-5 sophomore, proved to be a key addition for the Lady Cats, leading the team and county in assists. A clutch player, the All-State Tournament selection, had 22 points in an overtime win over Central Arkansas Christian; 10 assists in an upset win at Sheridan and hit 8-of-8 free throws in the fourth quarter of a 66-62 win at Fairview.

"She's a real heady player, plays real hard and real smart. She's a good leader for that team," said Bryant coach Carla Crowder. "We put our best defensive player on her."