The #9 McLennan women's basketball squad continued its run through conference play with a 69-51 win over the Ranger Lady Rangers at The Highlands
Both teams appeared to be feeling the chill in the air at the start as they struggled offensively. McLennan led 6-5 with 6:27 to go in the first quarter. A Tajenae Gooden 3-pointer from the elbow started an 8-0 run that pushed the McLennan lead to nine, 14-5. The squad extended the lead to 11, 21-10, with three minutes remaining in the first. Ranger rallied in the final minutes, cutting the lead to six going into the second quarter, 25-19.
The Lady Rangers carried the momentum into the new period and trailed by just three, 28-25 with 6:07 to play before the half. A 7-0 McLennan run, once again started by a Gooden 3-pointer, pushed the lead back to double digits at 35-25. McLennan would briefly extend the lea to 12 before a 4-0 Ranger pulled the Lady Rangers within eight. A jumper by Taylor Craver jumper with just 30 ticks on the clock made it a 10-point McLennan advantage at the break.
Mariah Houston's bucket for Ranger began the scoring in the third before McLennan's Hannah Mouton used a 5-0 run on her own to put her team up by 13, 48-35. McLennan was able to hold the Lady Rangers at arm's length throughout the quarter before pulling away slightly in the final seconds capped by a Kennedi Ard jumper to put the squad up by 14, 60-46.
Gooden and Jalayah Ingram combined for a 5-0 McLennan run to open the final period and give the squad its largest lead to that point at 65-46. The McLennan defense would go on to hold Ranger to just one free throw in six and a half minutes of play, helping to secure the win.
Tajenae Gooden led McLennan with 15 points. Jalayah Ingram and Hannah Mouton scored 13 and 12, respectively.
Ranger: Saylor Upshaw 2 5-5 9; Anastasija Cernova3 1-3 8; Mariah Houston 1 3-4 6; Aisha Martin 5 1-2 11; Alani Owens 4 0-0 8; Amisha Russell 2 0-0 5; Paris Anderson 0 0-0 0; Jemima Yowa 1 2-2 4; Tatum Stone 0 0-0 0; Totals: 18 12-16 51.
McLennan: Hannah Mouton 5 1-1 12; Jalayah Ingram 4 2-2 13; Andrea Johnson 0 0-0 0; Daija Mitchell 1 0-0 2; Kennedi Ard 2 0-0 4; Charnelle Hoof 2 3-7 7; Tajenae Gooden 6 0-0 15; Madison Nesbit 0 0-0 0; Taylor Craver 1 5-6 7; Tyla Roberts 2 0-0 4; Amerie Flowers 1 0-0 2; Danai Lewis 1 1-1 3; Totals: 25 12-17 69.
First Quarter score: McLennan 25, Ranger 19; Halftime score: McLennan 43, Ranger 33; Third quarter score: McLennan 60, Ranger 46; 3-pointers: Ranger 6 (Houston 1, Russell 1, Cernova), McLennan 5 (Gooden 3, Mouton 1, Ingram 1); Total fouls: Ranger 15, McLennan 19; Record: McLennan 21-2 (10-1).
