In their bid to return to the state tournament, Marion head girls basketball coach Shunda Johnson didn’t duck anyone in her 2026-2027 non-conference schedule.
That brought Class 6A power Little Rock Central to Fidelity Bank Arena for the season opener on Tuesday evening.
Marion competed well into the third period against the mighty Lady Tigers, trailing just 37-35 at halftime, before the visitors pulled away for an 82-53 victory.
Marion (0-1 overall) got 17 points from sophomore guard Cortlyn Brown, and eight apiece from Maliya Stallings, Summer Morgan, and Ianna Pressley.
Little Rock Central led 21-11 after a quarter, but Marion got six points apiece from Brown, Pressley, and Stallings in the second period to get within 37-35 at halftime.
The Lady Tigers opened the third period on an 8-0 run to take control of the game, and LR Central's largest lead doubled as the final score.
The Lady Tigers (1-1 overall) put four players in double figures, led by senior Rosebella Onyango's game-high 18 points, while juniors Janae Johnson and Kiersten Dailey each hit for 17, and Keila Dailey added 10 for the visitors.