JESSIEVILLE -- Though she may not make the All-State team or draw college attention, Jessieville senior point guard Lexi Bassett plays with great intensity and usually with a smile on her face.
Charitably listed at 5 feet, 2 inches, Bassett plays a position manned in this decade by college-bound performers Macey Burr and Grier Bennett. Owing to her lack of speed, she walks the ball up court on most possessions with the idea of distributing rather than scoring.
But as Booneville (3-13, 1-8 3A-4) learned Friday night at Jessieville Sports Arena, Bassett can be a difference-making shooter when left open. She hit two 3-point baskets and had a key assist in the third quarter of a 57-32 victory for Jessieville (12-9, 4-5), one in which teammate Jadyn Fortenberry scored a team-high 14 points and five Lady Lions had at least eight points.
"She came up huge for us," coach Magen Scrivner said. "She's such a leader."
Bassett had bookend scoring plays in Jessieville's 20-point third quarter, two free throws padding its halftime lead to 25-16 and her second three making it 43-23. Her first three started a 9-0 run in a quarter that she contributed a bounce pass inside for a basket.
Junior Lilliana Fehrenbacher added 10 points for Jessieville, her bank shot off the wing sparking a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter that made it 53-25. Taryn Anderson chipped in nine points and Amy de Haas matched Bassett's eight as the Lady Lions followed up on a road win over Fountain Lake (5-16, 0-9) Tuesday night.
"It's been a good week for us," Scrivner said. "We're finally putting four quarters together."
Jessieville swept the season series from Booneville. The Lady Lions' last five games of the conference schedule and the regular season include rematches against 3A-4 tri-leaders Atkins (17-3, 8-1), Lamar (17-3, 8-1) and Two Rivers (16-6, 8-1).
Perryville (10-10, 3-6), coached by Lady Lion alum Kodi Speers, plays at Jessievlle Sports Arena Tuesday night.
Sports on 01/21/2019