In a game that came down to the final half second, the McLennan Highlassies fell to the Blinn Buccaneers 60-58 tonight at The Highlands. The game was close from start to finish with neither team ever reaching a double-digit lead.
McLennan held the 13-12 lead with three minutes to play in the first quarter. Blinn ended the period on a 6-2 run to take the 18-15 lead at the end of the first.
The Buccaneers began to pull away in the second, building a nine-point lead, 27-18, with 5:22 to play in the first half. Kenidi White and Annya Moss came off the bench and provided the spark McLennan needed. The Highlassies bounced back and tied the game at 29 with 2:23 remaining in the second. Once again Blinn ended the half on a run to take the 34-31 lead into the break.
Blinn led 38-31 with 5:47 to play in the third quarter. McLennan rattled off an 8-0 run capped off by a Moss 3-pointer to take the 39-38 lead with 3:05 to go in the third. A pair of KeeKee Nowlin free throws extended the Highlassies' lead to three. The Buccaneers regained the lead less than a minute later and led 47-43 going into the fourth.
The Buccaneers extended the lead to six early in the fourth but McLennan didn't give up. The Highlassies trailed by three, 58-55, with 9.7 seconds on the clock. Moss drained another 3-pointer from the top of the key with 5.2 on the clock to tie the game at 58. A Blinn drive and a foul underneath the basket with 0.5 seconds to play put Alexus Brigham on the line. Brigham made both free throws for the Buccaneers to steal the win.
Annya Moss led the Highlassies with 14 points. McLennan travels to Lufkin Wednesday to face the Angelina Lady Roadrunners at 5:30 p.m.
Blinn: Armani Anderson 0 0-0 0; Imani Wimbish-Gay 1 5-7 7; Mariel Wade 4 0-0 10; Alexus Wykoff 5 3-4 13; Kristine Ezimako 2 4-4 10; Jordan Sanders 1 0-4 2; Missy Archie 3 1-2 7; Alexus Brigham 2 7-9 11; Totals: 18 20-30 60.
McLennan: Jada McHenry 0 0-0 0; Ny'Asia Goldman 1 2-4 4; Kenidi White 3 0-0 7; Gabby Cleveland 0 3-4 3; Harmony Pettis 0 0-0 0; KeeKee Nowlin 2 3-4 8; Annya Moss 5 0-0 14; Janeisha Mosley 0 0-0 0; Raveen Blue 1 1-3 3; Shequana Jackson 1 0-0 2; Elizabeth Critton 2 0-0 4; Anastacia Mickens 3 1-1 7; Desirae Devine 3 0-2 6; Totals: 21 10-18 58.
