The eighth-ranked McLennan Women's Basketball squad moved to 23-5 on the season and 12-2 in conference play with a 65-52 win over the Grayson Lady Vikings tonight at The Highlands.
It was a low-scoring first quarter. McLennan opened on a 4- 0 run with buckets by Niyah Johnson and Aniya Williams. Grayson responded with a basket each from Kayla Jones and Damia Freeman to tie the game at four with 5:45 to go. The Vikings led 6-5 when Mersadez Nephew drained a 3-pointer for McLennan, 8-6. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Abby Priscilla and Aniyah Sanford gave Grayson the 11-8 lead at the end of the first.
A Mersadez Nephew 3-pointer a minute into the second quarter tied the game at 11. The two teams traded baskets with McLennan holding the 22-21 lead with 2:38 to play in the quarter. A 3-pointer from Alaina Paine followed by a Nephew layup put McLennan up by six, 27-21. McLennan continued to lead by six, 30-24, with 40 seconds to play before the half. A Jones bucket with 19 seconds to go cut the lead to four at the break, 30-26.
McLennan emerged from the locker room with renewed energy, pushing the lead to nine at 39-30 with 6:29 to go in the third. Grayson cut the lead to six two minutes later before McLennan pulled away with a 6-0 run to extend the lead to 12, 47-35. It would be a 48-38 McLennan lead going into the final period.
McLennan opened the fourth on a 6-1 run to extend the lead to 15 with eight minutes to play, 54-39. Grayson rallied once again, pulling within seven with just under three minutes to play, 57-50, but that would be as close as they could get.
Mersadez Nephew led the way for McLennan with 22 points. Alaina Payne and Aysia Ward added 13 and 10, respectively.
Grayson: Damia Freeman 1 0-0 2; Jaeden Gillam 1 0-0 2; Aniyah Sanford 3 1-2 8; Shakirat Abdulazeez 1 0-0 2; Abby Priscilla 3 1-2 9; Samantha Fields 2 0-0 5; Charlotte Carvalho 3 0-0 7; Kayla Jones 8 1-2 17; Aaliyah Brown 0 0-0 0; Totals: 27 3-6 52.
McLennan: Aysia Ward 5 0-0 10; Alaina Payne 4 3-4 13; Mersadez Nephew 8 2-3 22; Jalayah Ingram 1 0-0 2; Peyton Hearvey 0 1-2 1; Niyah Johnson 3 2-4 8; Aniya Williams 3 3-6 9; Totals: 30 11-19 65.
First Quarter score: Grayson 11, McLennan 8; Halftime score: McLennan 30, Grayson 26;
Third Quarter score: McLennan 48, Grayson 38; 3-pointers: Grayson 3 (Priscilla 2, Sanford 1), McLennan 6 (Nephew 4, Payne 2); Total fouls: Grayson 14, McLennan 11; Record: McLennan 23-5 (12-2).
