McLennan punches ticket to NCJAA national tournament

The 10th-ranked McLennan women's basketball squad punched their ticket to the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship with a 63-61 upset of the #3 New Mexico Thunderbirds in the Region V Championship.
 
The first quarter was back and forth between the two squad. McLennan began the scoring with a Jalayah Ingram jumper but New Mexico tied the game with a pair of Pania Davis free throws. The game was tied at six with 6:43 to go in the first . The Thunderbirds used a 4-0 run to go ahead 10-6 but McLennan responded with a 4-0 run of its own to tied the game once again. New Mexico would lead 12-10 with three and a half minutes to go in the period. A Tajenae Gooden 3-pointer from the wing followed by an Amerie Flowers jumper put McLennan up 15-12. New Mexico ended on a 4-0 run to lead 16-15 at the end of one quarter of play.
 
McLennan stepped up in the second quarter. Ingram opened the quarter on a 4-0 run of her own, draining a 3-pointer from the corner before sinking a free throw following the Thunderbird foul, 19-16. Emma Najjuma's bucket from the post pulled New Mexico within one, 19-18, but a 6-0 run by McLennan including two buckets by Ingram and one from Flowers made it a seven-point advantage, 25-18. McLennan continued to push, extending the lead to 14 with 58 seconds to go before the half. A bucket-and-one by Davis would cut the lead back to 11 at intermission, 37-26.
 
The momentum turned in New Mexico' favor early in the third quarter. McLennan led 41-28 when the Thunderbirds put together a 9-0 run to pull within four with 6:48 to play in the quarter, 41-37. McLennan pushed the lead back to six but New Mexico continued to rally, cutting the lead to two on a Jada Graves bucket with just two minutes remaining in the period. McLennan would lead by three into the final quarter, 49-46.
 
McLennan continued to hold the three-point lead with 9:25 remaining in the game, 51-48. A Danai Lewis shot from the post, followed by a pair of Taylor Craver pushed the lead to seven, giving McLennan a slightly larger cushion. New Mexico trailed by six with 1:22 to go. Lewis went 2-2 from the free throw line for McLennan to extend the lead back to eight before the Thunderbirds Seck hit a 3-pointer from the corner with a minute and 10 seconds to go, 62-57. New Mexico's Cacia Antonio added a pair of free throws to cut the lead to three, 62-59, with 32.24 seconds on the clock. The Thunderbirds would inbound the ball under their own goal following a jump ball with 16.34 to go. McLennan stole the ball and Ingram added a free throw following the Thunderbird foul, 63-59. New Mexico advanced the ball after a timeout and Antonio's layup cut the lead to two, 63-61. Gooden went to the line after another New Mexico foul; she sent 1-2 but a lane violation was called on McLennan. Another Thunderbird timeout advanced the ball. Antonio was fouled on the last-second shot. Both free throws bounced off the iron to seal the win!
 
Ingram led McLennan with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Flowers added 10 points.
 
McLennan: Hannah Mouton 0 0-0 0; Jalayah Ingram10 4-7 26; Andrea Johnson 0 0-0 0; Kennedi Ard 0 0-0 0; Charnelle Hoof 3 0-0 6; Tajenae Gooden 3 2-6 9; Taylor Craver 2 2-2 6; Tyla Roberts 0 2-2 2; Amerie Flowers 5 0-0 10; Danai Lewis 1 2-2 4; Totals: 24 12-19 63.
 
New Mexico: Jada Graves 2 0-0 4; Fatime Seck 2 0-0 6; Cacia Antonio 8 6-10 22; Kaycee Steinke 0 0-0 0; Nuria Estrade 0 0-0 0; Amyah Sutton 2 3-3 7; Emma Najjuma 2 0-0 4; Pania Davis 5 8-9 18; Totals: 21 17-22 61.
 
First Quarter score: New Mexico 16, McLennan 15; Halftime score: McLennan 37, New Mexico 26; Third quarter score: McLennan 49, New Mexico 46; 3-pointers: McLennan 3 (Ingram 2, Gooden 1), New Mexico 2 (Seck 2); Total fouls: McLennan 19, New Mexico 14; Fouled out: Lewis (McLennan); Record: McLennan 28-3 (14-2).