The 12th-ranked McLennan Highlassies avenged their season-opening overtime loss to Blinn by knocking off the second-ranked Buccaneers 79-74 tonight in Brenham.
It was an exciting first half between the Buccaneers and Highlassies. After several non-productive offensive possession by both squads, Chelsea Wooten put McLennan on the board with an arching 3-pointer from the corner. A pair of Crystal Smith free throws began the scoring for Blinn. A driving basket from Bineta Diatta put the Highlassies back up by three, 5-2. The teams traded baskets and the lead for the next six plus minutes of play. The Buccaneers led 17-14 with 2:18 to go in the first quarter. A long 3-pointer from the wing by Saneea Bevley for McLennan tied the game with just under a minute to go, but the Buccaneers ended the quarter on a 5-0 run to take the 22-17 lead into the second.
Blinn added a Tiffany Tullis basket less than a minute into the second to take its largest lead of the game at 24-17. Following a quick timeout, the momentum swung to McLennan. The Highlassies heated up from behind the arc and began to chip away at the lead. The Buccaneers led 29-25 with 6:17 to play in the second. A Miannah Little 3-pointer from the wing followed by a Kennedi Rowland bucket in the lane and a long 3-pointer from the top of the key by Bevley made it a 33-29 lead with 3:49 to go. The Highlassies led by six, 42-36, with 59 seconds remaining before intermission. Blinn ended on a 6-2 run including three free throws from Tullis in the final seconds to cut the lead to two at halftime, 44-42.
The game remained tit-for-tat throughout the third. Blinn led 59-57 with one minute to play in the quarter. Hannah Humphrey added a 3-pointer to push the lead to five but Chelsea Wooten went 1-3 from the free throw line fouling a foul at the buzzer to cut the lead to four, 62-58.
Bevley opened the fourth with a 3-pointer for McLennan to trim the lead to one, 62-61. Blinn pushed the lead back to four, 68-64, with 7:26 remaining in the game. A finger roll by Wooten followed by a an up-and-under layup by Aniya Williams tied the game at 68. The two teams went scoreless for the next three minutes of play. A Jasmyn Jackson free throw Blinn broke the drought and put them up by one 69-68. McLennan responded with a 7-0 run to build a six-point lead with 23.5 seconds to play, 75-69. Crystal Smith went 3-3 from the free throw line to pull within three, 75-72. Little, Bevley and Jaydyn Bullard combined to go 6-6 from the line to put the lead back to seven, 79-72. Tullis added a last-second bucket for Blinn but it wasn't enough.
Bevley led the way for McLennan with 29 points. Miannah Little added 14 and Bineta Diaata chipped in 12.
McLennan: Aysia Ward 0 0-0 0; Chelsea Wooten 2 3-5 8; Miannah Little 4 4-4 14; Kennedi Rowland 1 1-2 3; Saneea Bevley 9 3-4 29; Jaydyn Bullard 1 2-2 4; Niamh Heath 0 0-0 0; Bineta Diatta 5 1-2 12; Aniya Williams 2 0-0 4; Cynaye Bobbitt 1 0-0 2; Aaliyah Holmes 1 0-0 3; Bailee St. Romain 0 0-0 0; Totals: 26 14-19 79.
Blinn: Tiffany Tullis 9 4-6 23; Crystal Smith 6 8-8 24; Allana Thompson 0 0-0 0; Jasmyn Jackson 0 3-4 3; Amyria Walker 0 0-0 0; Makayla Patterson 0 0-0 0; Jakoriah Long 4 3—3 12; Skylar Barnes 1 0-0 2; Tianna Mathis 0 0-0 0; Hannah Humphrey 4 0-0 10;
Totals: 24 18-21 74.
3-pointers: McLennan 13 (Bevley 8, Little 2, Wooten 1, Diatta 1, Holmes 1), Blinn 8 (Smith 4, Humphrey 2, Long 1, Tullis 1); Total fouls: McLennan 19, Blinn 19; Halftime score: McLennan 44, Blinn 42; Record: McLennan 9-1.
Next Up: McLennan will host the Fort Hood Phantom Warriors at 7 p.m. Tuesday at The Highlands.
