Highlassies fall in double overtime

It was an exciting afternoon of basketball at The Highlands. In the early game, the McLennan Highlassies and Collin Lady Cougars went to double overtime with Collin squeaking out the 89-83 win.
 
Collin opened the game on a 5-0 run. McLennan struggled to find consistency on offense early, allowing the Lady Cougars to build a 10-point lead at 16-6 with 3:16 to go in the first quarter. Collin extended the lead to 13 late in the quarter but a 3-point play by the Highlassies' Elizabeth Critton trimmed it to 10 going into the second period, 21-11.
 
The Lady Cougars appeared to be in total control of the game in the second quarter. Collin doubled its lead to 20, 38-18, with 4:39 to play before halftime. Another Critton jumper would start the Highlassie comeback. The 9-0 run would pull McLennan within 11, 38-27 with 2:46 to go. A putback by Collin's Lucy Ibeh extended the lead to 13 but another Highlassie run of 5-0 cut it back to eight, 40-32. The Lady Cougars ended the half on a 4-0 run to lead by 14 at the break, 46-32.
 
McLennan emerged from the locker room with a completely different aura. Seynabou Thiam and Jade Bradley combined for a 4-0 run to start the half and cut the lead to 10. Collin led by 11 with just over five minutes to play in the quarter. A 10-3 run by the Highlassies over the next four minutes pulled the Highlassies within four but Collin would lead by six heading into the final period in regulation, 58-52.
 
A 3-point play by McLennan's Bradley to start the fourth cut the lead in half. A Destiny Thurman 3-pointer put Collin up by six, 61-55 with 9:07 to go in the fourth. Raija Todd drained a 3-pointer from the elbow, a driving basket by Annya Moss and another 3-pointer by Todd gave the Highlassies their first lead of the contest at 63-61 midway through the fourth. The two teams traded baskets for the remainder of the quarter. McLennan led 72-71 with 42 seconds to go in regulation. Thurman went 1-2 from the free throw line with 28 seconds to play, tying the game at 72 and forcing overtime.
 
Both teams scored four free throws in the extra period to send the game into a second overtime, tied at 76. Moss and Kenidi White combined for a 4-0 run to start the second OT and put McLennan up 80-76. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Collin's Thurman followed by a jumper by Cydney Rivera and another bucket by Thurman put the Lady Cougars up six, 86-80. The Highlassies trimmed it to four several times down the stretch but couldn't complete another comeback.
 
McLennan spread the ball around well on offense. Jade Bradley led the way with 16 points and Annya Moss added 15. Elizabeth Critton and Kenidi White scored 12 points each, and Raija Todd had 11. Destiny Thurman led Collin with 32 points.

Collin 89, McLennan 83
Collin: Anyssia Gibbs 1 7-10 10; Cydney Rivera 8 1-3 19; Destiny Thurman 11 6-10 32; Awatea Leach 1 2-3 5; Lucy Ibeh 5 4-4 14; Shala Robinson 3 0-0 6; Cardrina Nolen 1 1-2 3; Totals: 30 21-32 89.
 
McLennan: Raija Todd 4 0-0 11; Ny'Asia Goldman 2 1-4 5; Kenidi White 5 0-0 12; Jaidyn Fontenette 0 1-2 1; Jade Bradley 6 4-6 16; Mele Kaloni Kailahi 3 2-2 9; Annya Moss 6 2-3 15; Elizabeth Critton 5 2-2 12; Seynabou Thiam 2 0-0 4; Totals: 33 12-19 83.
 
3-pointers: Collin 6 (Thurman 4, Rivera 1, Gibbs 1), McLennan 7 (Todd 3, White 2, Kailahi 1, Moss 1); Total fouls: Collin 20, McLennan 26; Fouled out: Collin (Ibeh, Robinson), McLennan (Bradley); Halftime score: Collin, 46 McLennan 32; Record: McLennan 12-5 (2-1).