Highlassies fall in conference opener at Temple

The McLennan Highlassies fell to the Temple Lady Leopards 84-76 Monday evening in their delayed conference opener.

It appeared that Temple would run away with the game early on as the Lady Leopards opened on a 4-0 run and built a 13-point lead at 16-3 with 6:31 to go in the first quarter. McLennan dusted off the COVID cobwebs and put together an 8-0 run to trim the lead to five at 16-11 with just under four minutes to play in the quarter. The Highlassies kept their rhythm for the remainder of the period and trialed by seven going in to the second, 22-15.
 
McLennan's Demetrius Lewis drained a 3-pointer early in the second to pull the Highlassies within four, 22-18. Temple quickly pushed the lead to double digits with back-to-back 3-pointers by Kennedi Green, 28-18. The Lady Leopards pushed the lead back to 13, 35-23, midway through the quarter. The Highlassies held Temple to just one point in the final five minutes of the half to cut the lead to nine at intermission, 36-27.
 
The momentum swung in favor of McLennan in the third quarter. The Highlassies continued to trail by seven, 40-33, with 7:40 to play in the third. A pair of Lewis free throws ignited a 6-0 McLennan run to pull the Highlassies within one, 40-39, with six minutes to go in the third. Temple pushed the lead back to five down the stretch and led by four going into the fourth, 49-45.
 
A Miannah Little 3-pointer from the top of the key pulled McLennan within one to start the fourth, 49-48. Jasmyn Studamire added a bucket for the Lady Leopards but Little quickly responded with a jumper to cut the lead back to one, 51-50. A Valisa Mitchell drive and floater gave McLennan its first lead at 52-51 with 7:56 remaining in regulation. The teams traded baskets and the lead down the stretch before heading into overtime tied at 67.
 
Temple's Kirsten Zaruba hit a 3-point from the elbow less than 10 seconds into the extra period to give the Lady Leopards the early advantage.
 
Brielle Dorsey led the Highlassies with 19 points and Minnah Little added 16. Gabby Owens and Demetrius Lewis scored 13 and 11, respectively.

Temple 84, McLennan 76
McLennan: Valisa Millhouse 2 3-4 7; Miannah Little 3 9-14 16; Demetrius Lewis 3 2-2 11; Jaydyn Bullard 1 0-0 2; Pryia Thompson 0 0-0 0; Mersadez Nephew 0 0-2 0; Gabby Owens 5 1-2 13; Kinley Brown 1 3-3 6; Brielle Dorsey 4 11-14 19; Kai Finister 1 0-0 2; Mariona Garcia 0 0-0 0; Totals: 20 27-40 76.
 
Temple: Mochieyeveon Hobbs 0 0-0 0; Kamani Jones 1 0-0 2; Jasmyn Studamire 4 4-6 12; Kennedi Green 4 6-8 17; Kirsten Zaruba 7 0-0 21; Imani Mitchell 0 0-2 0; Leilani Wimbish-Gay 6 3-5 16; Jordyn Carter 5 4-6 14; Jade Studamire 0 0-0 0; Halley Rucker 0 1-2 1; Jozelyn Washington 0 0-0 0; Totals: 27 18-29 84.
 
3-pointers: McLennan 6 (Lewis 3, Owens 2, Little 1), Temple 11 (Zaruba 7, Green 3, Wimbish-Gay 1); Total fouls: McLennan Temple 24; Fouled out: McLennan (Owens), Temple (Green, Wimbish-Gay); Record: McLennan 6-7 (0-1).