The No. 9 McLennan women avenged their season-opening overtime loss to Blinn with a crushing 59-35 victory over the Buccaneers tonight at The Highlands.
Blinn had the early momentum, opening on 4-0 run. Aniya Williams put McLennan on the board, going 1-2 from the free throw line with 8:31 to go in the first quarter. That free throw ignited the McLennan offense for a 10-0 run to build a six-point lead at 10-4 with 6:07 to play in the period. The Buccaneers responded with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 10. McLennan stepped up on defense, and the offense got hot. McLennan ended the frame on a 12-0 run, including back-to-back 3-pointers from Mersadez Nephew and Saneea Bevley, to lead 22-10 after one quarter.
Both teams were quiet offensively in the second. Aysia Ward added a bucket for McLennan with 7:45 remaining in the period to make it a 14-point lead, 24-10. Biva Byrd's basket a minute later ended a seven-minute scoring drought for Blinn. McLennan put together another run, this one of the 12-1 variety to make it a 34-13 halftime lead.
Blinn found a little life in the third quarter, but McLennan held its own. The Buccaneers doubled their score in the period but couldn't cut the lead to less than 17. Williams score five of McLennan's 10 points in the period, and the squad led 44-26 going into the final period.
McLennan led 46-30 with 8:18 remaining in the game, and went on an 8-0 run to push the lead 22, 52-30. With just over a minute to play and a 21-point lead, 56-35, McLennan inbounded the ball under its own goal with one second on the shot clock. Alaina Payne found Ward in the paint, and she banked it off the glass at the buzzer to excite the McLennan bench and crowd.
Aysia Ward led McLennan with 12 points, and Saneea Bevley added 11. Mersadez Nephew and Aniya Williams scored 10 points each. Williams added 13 rebounds to get the double-double, and Ward pulled down 10.
Blinn: Jonesha Neal 2 1-2 5; Wynter Jones 0 0-0 0; Jasmyn Jackson 0 0-2 0; Nala Richardson 0 0-0 0; Ja'Nya Thomas 2 2-2 6; Biva Byrd 2 0-1 4; Tianna Mathis 0 2-2 2; DJ Kincade 0 1-2 1; Chelsy Singleton 4 0-0 8; Tocarra Johnson 3 1-3 7; Totals: 14 8-14 35.
McLennan: Aysia Ward 5 2-2 12; Saneea Bevley 4 2-3 11; Alaina Payne 2 1-2 6; Mersadez Nephew 3 2-4 10; Jalayah Ingram 0 0-0 0; Peyton Hearvey 0 0-0 0; Niyah Johnson 4 1-2 9; Aniya Williams 4 2-6 10; Kalisha Phillips 0 0-0 0; Pauline Maccarthy 0 1-2 1; Totals: 22 11-21 59.
First Quarter score: McLennan 22, Blinn 10; Halftime score: McLennan 34, Blinn 13; Third Quarter score: McLennan 44, Blinn 26; 3-pointers: Blinn 0, McLennan 4 (Nephew 2, Bevley 1, Payne 1); Total fouls: Blinn 17, McLennan 16; Record: McLennan 8-3.
