Highlassies clobber Midland, advance to semifinals

The McLennan Highlassies man-handled the Midland Lady Chaparrals tonight in the opening round of the Region V Tournament in Lubbock. The Highlassies defeated the Lady Chaps 61-44 to advance to Friday's semifinal round to face either Odessa at 3 p.m. 

McLennan opened the game firing on all cylinders and never trailed in the contest. A Nadia Hayes jumper with 9:29 to play in the first quarter put the Highlassies on the board and ignited an opening 8-1 run. The swarming McLennan defense held Midland to just two free throws through the first four minutes of play. The Highlassies led by as many as 11 in the first quarter and led 19-11 heading into the second period. The Lady Chaparrals cut the lead to six early in the second. Velma Mitchell drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 8:33 to play to extend the lead to nine. McLennan led 24-18 with 6:43 to go in the second. Back-to-back 3 pointers by Dariel Johnson and Mitchell doubled the Highlassies' lead, 30-18. McLennan held the 34-21 advantage at the break.

The Highlassies took full control of the game in the third quarter. McLennan continued to pull away, extending the lead to 21, 46-25, on another Mitchell 3-pointer in front of the McLennan bench with 5:52 to play in the third. The stifling Highlassie defense held Midland to just six points in the period allowing McLennan to take the 26-point lead into the final period. Midland made a run late in the fourth, cutting the lead to 15 but it wasn't enough to overcome the dominance of the Highlassies.

Mitchell led McLennan with 25 points and Johnson added 12. 

McLennan: Patrickia Daily 1 0-0 3; Colandria Haynes 0 0-2 0; Dariel Johnson 4 0-2 12; Jordan Mullins 1 0-0 2; Velma Mitchell 8 5-6 25; Jaylonn Walker 3 2-2 9; Nadia Hayes 1 2-2 4; Ashley Moore 2 2-4 6; Totals: 20 11-18 61.

Midland: Janae Bunn 2 3-4 7; Tae'lor Hodge 0 0-0 0; Kayla Bretherton 2 3-4 8; Tichina Coleman 0 1-1 1; Teneshia Dixon 1 0-0 2; Alexis Washington 1 0-0 3; Alexandrea Washington 1 0-0 2; Caley Barnard 3 0-0 8; A'Nyah Whittington 0 0-0 0; Matangiroa Flavell 1 0-0 3; Lisa Kaempf 4 1-5 10; Totals: 15 8-19 44.

3-pointers: McLennan 10 (Johnson 4, Mitchell 4, Walker 1, Daily 1), Midland 6 (Barnard 2, Bretherton 1, Kaempf 1, Washington 1); Total fouls: McLennan 14, Midland 20; Halftime score: McLennan 34, Midland 21; Record: McLennan 18-12.