It was a back-and-forth battle between the top-two teams in the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference with the McLennan women taking sole possession of the conference lead with a 71-58 win over the Grayson Vikings.
Jalayah Ingram was on fire for McLennan to start the game, scoring nine of the squad's first 14 points. McLennan built an eight-point lead in the quarter, 16-8, but Grayson battled back. The Vikings scored the majority of their points from the free throw line in the period, and tied the game at 20 with 5.8 seconds on the clock. Kennedi Ard drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give McLennan the three-point advantage.
McLennan's momentum carried into the second quarter, opening on a 6-0 run. The squad extended the lead to 13, 35-22 with 4:46 remaining in the first half. Grayson rallied down the stretch, cutting the lead to one, 35-34. Ingram added a bucket at the buzzer for McLennan to make it a three-point lead, 37-34, at the break.
The game remained tight throughout the third and was tied at 41 with 6:15 to go in the period. Back-to-back put-back buckets from Danai Lewis and Tyla Roberts gave McLennan a slight cushion, and the team held the 50-48 lead going into the fourth.
McLennan opened the final period on an 8-0 run to push the lead to 10, 58-48. The team pushed the lead to 13 by holding the Vikings to a just a pair of free throws in the first five minutes of the frame, 63-5. A Kayla Jones 3-pointer broke the field-goal drought for Grayson, 63-53, with 4:49 to play. Tajenae Gooden responded with a 5-0 run on her own to increase the McLennan lead to 15. The Vikings pulled within 12 late in the period but couldn't get any closer.
Tajenae Gooden led McLennan with 24 points. Jalayah Ingram and Charnelle Hoof scored 16 and 11, respectively.
McLennan: Hannah Mouton 0 0-0 0; Jalayah Ingram 6 4-7 16; Andrea Johnson 0 0-0 0; Kennedi Ard 1 2-2 5; Charnelle Hoof 5 1-1 11; Tajenae Gooden 6 9-12 24; Taylor Craver 3 1-2 7; Tyla Roberts 1 0-0 2; Amerie Flowers 0 0-0 0; Danai Lewis 3 0-0 6; Totals: 25 17-24 71.
Grayson: Diana Letaru 1 4-4 6; Tahlaya Biglow 1 2-2 5; Madison Carter 1 2-2 5; Madison Martin 1 3-4 5; Susan Fahnbulleh 2 2-2 6; Ella Hamlin 1 1-2 3; Fia Filoialii 0 0-0 0; Allyah Leusogi 0 0-0 0; Kayla Jones 9 7-8 28; Gracie Burckhartzmeyer 0 0-0 ; Totals: 16 21-24 58.
First Quarter score: McLennan 23, Grayson 20; Halftime score: McLennan 37, Grayson 34; Third quarter score: McLennan 50, Grayson 48; 3-pointers: McLennan 3 (Gooden 2, Ard 1), Grayson 5 (Jones 3, Carter 1, Martin 1); Total fouls: McLennan 18, Grayson 18; Record: McLennan 22-2 (11-1).
