The McLennan Highlassies fell to the Blinn Lady Buccaneers 100-90 Tuesday night in Brenham
Gabriella Bosquez began the scoring with a 3-pointer from the elbow for Blinn just 15 seconds into the contest. Not to be outdone, Kenidi White quickly drained a 3-pointer for McLennan to tie the game at three. The game would be tied at seven with 6:44 to go in the first. Back-to-back by Elizabeth Critton and Jaidyn Fontenette put the Highlassies up by four. McLennan led by two with just over four minutes to go in the quarter. A Fontenette 3-pointer extended the lead to five and the Highlassies held the 21-16 advantage going into the second.
Mele Kaloni Kailahi scored the first nine points for McLennan to start the second, and the Highlassies led 30-25 with 6:13 remaining before the break. Blinn tied the game at 30 on a Kristine Ezimako 3-pointer midway through the quarter. The two teams traded the lead down the stretch and Blinn led 43-40 at the half.
Blinn began to pull away in the third quarter and extended the lead to 10, 59-49, with just under six minutes left in the period. McLennan rallied late in the quarter and cut the lead in half with 1:52 to play, 67-62. The Lady Buccaneers ended the half on a 6-0 run to take the 73-62 advantage after three quarters.
The Buccaneers led by as many as 20 in the final period but the Highlassies continued to fight. McLennan made a comeback late, trimming the lead to 10, but time expired before the Highlassies could complete the comeback.
Mele Kaloni Kailahi led McLennan with 31 points and Jade Bradley added 18. Jaidyn Fontenette and Kenidi White scored 13 and 10, respectively.
The Highlassies will compete in the Coastal Bend Classic Thursday-Saturday in Beeville. The Highlanders travel to Snyder for the Western Texas Classic Friday and Saturday.
McLennan: Raija Todd 1 3-4 5; Ny'Asia Goldman 1 0-0 3; Kenidi White 5 0-0 12; Jaidyn Fontenette 4 2-4 11; Yomon Simien 0 2-4 2; Jade Bradley 6 6-9 18; Mele Kaloni Kailahi 9 10-10 31; Annya Moss 0 0-0 0; Elizabeth Critton 2 0-0 4; 2 0-0 4; Totals: 30 23-31 90.
Blinn: Gabriela Bosquez 8 5-6 22; Hailey Atwood 2 0-0 4; Deja Adrian 2 1-3 5; Ah'Jaya Johnson 1 0-0 2; Keaundra Eddings 1 2-2 4; Briauna Johnson 1 1-4 3; Imani Wimbish-Gay 0 0-0 0; Mia Cherry5 0-0 12; Mariel Wade 1 0-0 2; Jessica Soders 2 2-2 7; Alex Bowen 0 0-0 0; Kristine Ezimako 9 4-5 24; Alanna Spencer 5 0-0 15; Tanea Sims 0 0-0 0; Totals: 37 15-22 100.
3-pointers: McLennan 7 (Kailahi 3, White 2, Goldman 1, Fontenette 1), Blinn 11 (Spencer 5, Ezimako 2, Cherry 2, Bosquez 1, Wade 1); Total fouls: McLennan 20, Blinn 22; Halftime score: Blinn 43, McLennan 40; Record: McLennan 4-1.
