The ninth-ranked McLennan women walloped the Weatherford Lady Coyotes 82-35 this evening in North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference play.
The game started as the Johnson show as Niyah Johnson scored the first four points for McLennan and Trinitee Johnson scored the first five for Weatherford. The Lady Coyotes led 5-4 in the first half before both team's shooters went cold for two minutes. A Jalayah Ingram free throw for McLennan tied the game at five with 5:27 to play in the first. Esther Daniels added a 3-pointer from the top of the key for Weatherford to put the Lady Coyotes up by three at the first media timeout, 8-5. McLennan found its offensive rhythm, using 12-0 run, highlighted by 3-pointers from Mersadez Nephew and Alaina Paine, to end the quarter and lead 17-8.
McLennan poured on the points in the second quarter behind strong shooting from Nephew. Nephew scored 11 points, and the squad used runs of 7-0 and 12-0 in the period to break the game open. Aysia Ward's buzzer-beating half-court shot put the exclamation on the quarter and gave McLennan the 45-18 lead at the break.
The ball continued to bounce McLennan's way in the third period, opening on an 8-0 run. Weatherford's Johnson banked a shot off the glass with 6:24 to go in the quarter, breaking a scoring drought for the Lady Coyotes that stretched more than nine minutes of play. McLennan pushed down the stretch, extending the lead to 36, 65-29.
McLennan outscored Weatherford 17-6, including six points from Kalisha Phillips, in the final quarter, cruising to the lopsided victory.
Mersadez Nephew led McLennan with 18 points and Kalisha Phillips scored 17. Aniya Williams and Aysia Ward added 12 and 11, respectively.
Weatherford: Andrea Rodriguez 1 0-0 2; Esther Daniels 2 1-2 7; Jacque Giron 0 0-0 0; Trinitee Johnson 5 0-0 11; Ashlee Seymore 0 0-0 0; Deja Lumsden 4 0-0 10; Janavia Gage 2 0-0 4; Totals: 14 2-4 35.
McLennan: Aysia Ward 5 0-0 11; Alaina Payne 2 2-2 8; Mersadez Nephew 7 1-2 18; Jalayah Ingram 2 1-2 6; Peyton Hearvey 1 0- 3 2; Niyah Johnson 4 0-0 8; Aniya Williams 6 0-2 12; Kalisha Phillips 7 2-2 17; Totals:
First Quarter score: McLennan 17, Weatherford 8; Halftime score: McLennan 45, Weatherford 18; Third Quarter score: McLennan 65, Weatherford 29; 3-pointers: Weatherford 5 (Daniels 2, Lumsden 2, Johnson 1), McLennan 8 (Nephew 3, Payen 2, Ward 1, Ingram 1, Phillips 1); Total fouls: Weatherford 11, McLennan 7; Record: McLennan 19-5 (8-2).
