MARYVILLE — Shekinna Stricklen finally found her shooting stroke at just the right time Thursday at the AAU Junior Olympics 16-under national championship game.

Wow, did she ever.

That was indeed good news for Stricklen’s Arkansas Mavericks, who mowed down the Oklahoma Pride 66-50 at Eagleton Middle School to complete an 8-0 tournament run.

Stricklen, who has her senior year at Morrilton (Ark.) High School yet to play before joining the Tennessee Lady Vols in 2008, scored 32 points and pulled down 15 rebounds to spark the Mavericks to their first AAU national title.

“I just finally found the rhythm,” said the 6-foot-2 Stricklen, who struggled with her shot throughout the AAU tournament.

“I haven’t shot like this in a long time.”

Not many people have.

Stricklen went to work with the Mavericks on top 18-11 with 8:17 left in the first half.

Her long triple just before the shot clock expired was a portent of things to come during Stricklen’s personal 12-0 run over the next four minutes.

Stricklen hit 3-pointers on the Mavericks’ next two possessions and then added her fourth 3-pointer in a row as she connected from well beyond the top of the key.

That necessitated an Oklahoma timeout with 4:37 left and Arkansas on top 30-13.

“That’s what broke the game open — that span right there,” said Mavericks coach Benny Brown.

“She hit one three, then another. That excited her and she was just unstoppable from there.”

About the only thing that slowed Stricklen was a hand injury that forced her to the sidelines for four minutes early in the second half.

But, just when it looked like Oklahoma might be able to make a run at Arkansas with Stricklen on the bench, the other Mavericks picked up the slack.

Arkansas led 38-27 when Stricklen exited.

However, Taylor Clark hit five key points and the Mavs picked up the intensity on defense sans Stricklen, who returned with her team up by 13 points.

“You’ve got to give my teammates a lot of credit,” said Stricklen.

“We play together as a team — and when I got hurt, they stepped up. We just came ready to play today. I’m very proud.”

Agreed, said Brown.

“The other girls picked it up on defense when Shekinna went out. It was just a total team effort.”

But still, the Mavericks probably couldn’t have done it without Stricklen, who was named the Joel Ferrell Outstanding Performance Memorial Award winner for girls’ basketball during the tournament.

Stricklen, who had 19 of her points in the first half, wound up 11-for-20 from the field and 5-for-7 from the free throw stripe. Clark added 13 points for Arkansas while Meoshia Bradley netted seven and Julie Inman six.

For Oklahoma, Kendra Dean worked hard inside and finished with 17 points and five rebounds.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.