In a game that came down to the final seconds, the McLennan Highlassies squeaked out a 61-59 road win over the Cisco Lady Wranglers.
McLennan took control of the game in the first quarter. A coast-to-coast layup by Mersadez Nephew put the Highlassies on the board less than 10 seconds into the game. Chloe Brinlee hit a baseline jumper for Cisco to tie the game at two. McLennan took the lead at 5-2 on a Nephew 3-pointer from the elbow but Dally Coulter responded with a 3-pointer for Cisco to tie the game at five with 7:46 to go in the first. The Highlassies pulled away with a 12-2 run highlighted by 3-pointers from Nephew and Miannah Little to take lead by 10 with 3:30 to play in the opening quarter, 17-7. Cisco cut the lead to seven on a Tonijah Fortune 3-pointer but McLennan pushed the lead to nine at the end of the first, 21-12.
The Highlassies opened the second quarter on a 4-0 run with a jumper by Gabby Owens and left-handed layup by Nephew, 25-12. A pair of 3-pointers from Cisco's Fortune and Coulter quickly trimmed the McLennan lead to seven, 25-18. The Highlassies pulled away again, extending the lead to 12 with 1:53 to play in the second, 32-20. Grace Paden added a 3-pointer with six seconds to go before the break to cut McLennan to nine at halftime, 32-23.
The Highlassies increased the lead back to double digits at 34-23 on a Valisa Millhouse layup with just under nine minutes to go in the third. Cisco began to rally, using an 11-0 run to take the 39-38 lead with 2:23 to play in the third. Baskets by Nephew and Little put McLennan up by three, 42-39 but a Fortune free throw made it a two-point Highlassies lead going into the final period.
Cisco regained the lead on a Jordyn Williams 3-pointer early in the fourth, 43-42, but the Highlassies found their shooting rhythm once again. A Nephew 3-pointers started an 8-0 run that put McLennan back on top by seven, 50-43, with 6:50 remaining in the game. The Wranglers rallied again, tying the game at 54 on a Brinlee 3-pointer with just under two minutes to go. Owens sank a pair of free throws and Little added one to put McLennan up by three at 57-54 with 45 seconds on the clock. Cisco's Coulter banked a put-back basket of the glass with 41 seconds to go pulling the Lady Wranglers within one, 57-56. Little then went 4-4 from the free throw to put McLennan up by five, 61-56. Paden added a 3-pointer at the buzzer but it wasn't enough.
Mersadez Nephew lead the Highlassies with 18 points and Miannah Little added 17. Gabby Owens rounded out the McLennan players in double figures with 11.
McLennan will back at The Highlands Saturday with a conference doubleheader with Grayson. Women's action begins at 2 p.m., followed by the men's game at 4 p.m.
McLennan: Valisa Millhouse 3 0-2 6; Miannah Little 5 5-6 17; Demetrius Lewis 1 2-2 4; Jaydyn Bullard 0 1-2 1; Mersadez Nephew 7 1-3 18; Gabby Owens 4 3-4 11; Kinley Brown 0 0-0 0; Brielle Dorsey 0 4-4 4; Kai Finister 0 0-0 0; Mariona Garcia 0 0-0 0; Totals: 20 16-23 61.
Cisco: Jaylin Reveles 0 0-0 0; Alliah Scallion 0 0-0 0; Aaliyah Santillano 0 0-0 0; Payton Jennings 2 0-0 6; Tonijah Fortune 5 3-4 16; Grace Paden 2 0-0 6; Jordyn Williams 2 0-0 5; Chloe Brinlee 3 0-0 7; Elena Moraleda 1 0-0 2; Naroa Martinez 2 0-0 4; Dally Coulter 4 2-2 13; Totals: 21 5-6 59.
3-pointers: McLennan 5 (Nephew 3, Little 2), Cisco 12 (Coulter 3, Fortune 3, Jennings 2, Paden 2, Williams 1, Brinlee); Total fouls: McLennan 10, Cisco 19; Fouled out: Cisco (Martinez); Record: McLennan 10-7 (4-1).
