The 10th-ranked McLennan women knocked off the No. 2 Collin Cougars 56-54 tonight on the road in Plano.
It was a fast-paced up-tempo game from the opening tip. McLennan had the momentum to start, opening with a 3-0 run and pushing the lead to six on a Mersadez Nephew 3-pointer from the corner with 6:07 to go in the quarter, 10-4. McLennan continued to lead by six, 12-6 at the first media timeout. Collin stepped up its game following the, rallying to cut the lead to one with 35 seconds to play in the period, 16-15. Niyah Johnson went 1-2 from the free throw line in the final seconds to give McLennan the 17-15 lead following one quarter of play.
Collin opened the second quarter on a 4-0 run by Mackenzie Buss to take the 19-17 lead. The teams traded the lead throughout the frame. McLennan scored 10 of its 14 points in the quarter at the free throw line. Collin lead by one, 27-26 with 1:37 to go before the half. McLennan took the lead on a bucket by Nephew, and Alaina Payne went 3-4 from the line to lead 31-27 at the break.
The ball was bouncing McLennan's way in the third quarter. McLennan opened on a 4-9 run and continued to rally, taking the first double-digit lead on a Nephew jumper with 6:12 to go in the period, 40-29. McLennan led by 12, 46-34, with just under a minute to go. A steal-and-bucket by Nephew made it a 14-point McLennan going into the fourth, 48-34.
Collin stole the momentum in the fourth, rallying to pull within one with just over two minutes to play, 50-49. A drive to the basket by McLennan's Jalayah Ingram made it a 52-49 lead with 1:07 to go. Buss drained a 3-pointer for Collin to tie the game at 52 but Ingram responded with a jumper to put McLennan back on top with 19.43 seconds to go, 54-52. Both teams added a pair of free throws to make it 56-54 McLennan with 6.96 seconds on the clock. Collin had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds but the ball bounced off the iron.
Mersadez Nephew led the way with 18 points for McLennan.
McLennan: Aysia Ward 4 0-0 8; Alaina Payne 2 3-4 7; Mersadez Nephew 5 6-7 18; Jalayah Ingram 2 2-2 6; Peyton Hearvey 0 0-0 0; Niyah Johnson 3 3-10 9; Aniya Williams4 0-0 8; Kalisha Phillips 0 0-0 0; Totals: 17 14-23 56.
Collin: Kenzie Willis-Gusters 2 0-0 5; Mackenzie Buss 7 1-3 16; Nyapar Mathot 0 0-0 0; Alisha Nunley 3 3-4 9; Kennadi Archibald 3 0-0 6; Asilika Fonua 0 0-0 0; Waiata Jennings 8 0-0 18; Micah Vaughn 0 0-0 0; Totals: 23 4-7 54.
First Quarter score: McLennan 17, Collin 15; Halftime score: McLennan 31, Collin 27;
Third Quarter score: McLennan 48, Collin 34; 3-pointers: 2 (Nephew 2), Collin 4 (Jennings 2, Willis-Gusters 1, Buss 1); Total fouls: McLennan 15, Collin 18; Fouled out: Archibald (Collin); Record: McLennan 21-5 (10-2).
