McLennan Highlassies fall to No. 7 Tallahassee & Panola in Thanksgiving Classic

The McLennan Highlassies fell to the No. 7 Tallahassee Eagles 92-60 Friday afternoon on opening day of the Budke/Serna Thanksgiving Classic on the campus of Trinity Valley Community College in Athens.

Both teams got off to a slow start offensively as they worked to find their rhythm following the holiday break. Juliunn Redmond hit a 3-pointer from the corner off an inbound pass with 8:47 to begin the scoring, giving Tallahassee the early 3-0 lead. McLennan's Jaylonn Walker tied the game on a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 8:18 remaining in the first quarter. The Eagles took the lead on a Mari Hill 3-pointer on their next possession and extended their lead to five, 8-3, with 7:26 on the clock. The Highlassies responded with a 5-0 run highlighted by a Walker steal and drive in the lane to tie the game at 8. The game was tied at 10 with 4:25 to go in the first. Tallahassee used a 9-0 run over the next two minutes to begin pulling away and held the 29-17 lead going into the second period. The Eagles took control in the second quarter, outscoring the Highlassies 30-7 to hold the 59-24 advantage at intermission.

McLennan came back from the locker room with a renewed determination and drive to start the third quarter. The Highlassies opened on a 10-0 run as the ball and the momentum bounced their way. McLennan outscored Tallahassee 23-6 in the frame to trim the Eagles lead to 18 after three quarters, 65-47.

Tallahassee rallied to start the final period, opening on a 16-2 run, and the Highlassies were unable to recover.

Sophomores Walker and Nadia Hayes led McLennan with 15 and 12 points, respectively.

On Saturday, the Highlassies dropped a close game to the Panola Fillies, 76-71.

McLennan led by as many as nine in the first quarter but Panola bounced back to hold the 17-11 lead heading into the second. The Highlassies outscored the Fillies 15-12 in the second and 28-24 in the third to hold the one-point lead, 54-53, going into the final quarter. Panola squeaked by McLennan in the fourth, outscoring the Highlassies 23-17 to take the win.

Jaylonn Walker led McLennan with 22 points and Velma Mitchell scored 20. Nadia Hayes rounded out the Highlassies in double figures with 15 points. Mitchell recorded the double-double by pulling down 10 rebounds.

Tallahassee 92, McLennan 60
Tallahassee: Mari Hill 5 1-2 12; Victoria Pearce 3 0-1 6; Jas Hill 5 2-2 17; Dawn Gipson 0 0-2 0; Ayanna Mazyck 6 0-0 14; Japonica James 7 3-8 17; Jada Perry 2 0-0 4; Juliunn Redmond 3 1-2 7; Nakiah Black 3 2-2 9; Jamyra McChristine 1 3-6 5; Stella Logbognon 0 1-2 1; Totals: 35 13-25 92.

McLennan: Patrickia Daily 2 1-2 7; Colandria Haynes 0 1-2 1; JonNá McDonald 0 0-0 0; Shekenia Green 0 0-2 0; Velma Mitchell 3 1-4 7; KeeKee Nowlin 1 3-4 5; Jaylonn Walker 4 5-6 15; Raveen Blue 1 0-0 2; Shankia Clark 0 2-2 2; Nadia Hayes 2 8-8 12; Chiqueria Cook 2 0-0 4; Anndrea Lloyd 2 1-2 5; Totals: 17 22-32 60.

3-pointers: Tallahassee 9 (J. Hill 5, Mazyck 2, M. Hill 1, Black 1), McLennan 4 (Daily 2, Walker 2); Total fouls: Tallahassee 23, McLennan 20; Halftime score: Tallahassee 59, McLennan 24; Record: McLennan 6-3.

Panola 76, McLennan 71
McLennan: Patrickia Daily 0 0-0 0; Colandria Haynes 2 2-2 7; JonNá McDonald 0 1-2 1; Shekenia Green 0 0-0 0; Velma Mitchell 6 6-11 20; KeeKee Nowlin 2 0-0 4; Jaylonn Walker 7 4-6 22; Shankia Clark 0 0-0 0; Nadia Hayes 4 6-8 15; Chiqueria Cook 0 0-0 0; Anndrea Lloyd 1 0-0 2; Totals: 22 19-29 71.

Panola: Weronika Nowakowska 4 2-2 12; Nailah Beyah-Blount 3 3-4 10; Patience Okpe 2 0-0 4; Daria Eremeeva 4 6-10 14; Stefany Lourenco 4 0-0 9; Jaye Cage 0 0-0 0; KK Karchevskaya 3 2-2 8; Mariyia Adashchyk 7 2-4 19; Totals: 27 15-22 76.

3-pointers: McLennan 8 (Walker 4, Mitchell 2, Haynes 1, Hayes 1), Panola 7 (Adashchyk 3, Nowakowska 2, Beyah-Blount 1, Lourenco 1); Total fouls: McLennan 24, Panola 21; Fouled out: McLennan (Hayes); Halftime score: Panola 29, McLennan 26; Record: McLennan 6-4.