The fifth-ranked McLennan women battled from behind to crush the Weatherford Coyotes 87-61 for their second conference victory.
McLennan opened the game on a 5-0 run with an and-one play by Pauline Maccarthy followed by a pair of free throws from Jalayah Ingram. Weatheford responded with a 6-0 run, taking the lead on a pair of free throws by Selina Gutierrez. The game was tied at 11 at the first media timeout with 3:40 to go. The Coyotes ended the quarter on a 13-2 run to lead 24-13 going into the second period.
Weatherford pushed the lead to 13, 28-15, early in the second before the momentum swung. McLennan trailed 30-18 with 7:57 to go in the quarter and used a 7-0 run to pull within five, 30-25. Mersadez Nephew sparked the McLennan rally. Nephew scored 22 points, including six 3-pointers, in the frame and gave McLennan the 39-38 on a 3-pointer from the wing with 59 seconds to play before the half. Nephew added another 3-pointer, and an Aysia Ward layup made it a 44-38 McLennan advantage at the half.
McLennan led by four, 50-46, with 6:44 to play in the third quarter. Jalayah Ingram went 1-2 from the free throw line to start an 8-0 McLennan run that broke the game open. McLennan pushed the lead to 13 multiple times late in the quarter and led 66-53 to start the fourth,
In the fourth, McLennan led 70-57 with 8:02 to play. It was all McLennan from that point as the squad close the game on a 17-4 run, holding Weatherford scoreless for six plus minutes of play.
Mersadez Nephew had 39 points to lead McLennan, including nine 3-pointers. Aysia Ward and Jalayah Ingram added 11 points each, and Aniya Williams scored 10.
McLennan: Aysia Ward 3 5-6 11; Alaina Payne 0 4-6 4; Mersadez Nephew 13 2-4 39; Jalayah Ingram 2 7-12 11; Peyton Hearvey 1 3-4 5; Aniya Williams 4 2-7 10; Kalisha Phillips 1 2-3 4; Pauline Maccarthy 1 1-5 3; Totals: 25 26-47 87.
Weatherford: Andrea Rodriguez 0 0-0 0; Esther Daniels 2 1-2 6; Jacque Giron 6 0-0 12; Selina Gutierrez 2 6-6 11; Trinitee Johnson 5 2-5 12; Ashlee Seymore 1 0-0 2; Diana Mozer 0 0-0 0; Deja Lumsden3 2-2 8; Janavia Gage 4 0-1 8; Grismar Marcelino 1 0-2 2; Totals: 24 11-18 61.
First Quarter score: Weatherford 24, McLennan 13; Halftime score: McLennan 44, Weatherford 38; Third Quarter score: McLennan 66, Weatherford 53; 3-pointers: McLennan 9 (Nephew 9); Weatherford 2 (Daniels 1, Gutierrez 1); Total fouls: McLennan 19, Weatherford 30; Fouled out: Johnson (Weatherford), Lumsden (Weatherford), Gage (Weatherford), Maccarthy (McLennan), Seymore (Weatherford), Gutierrez (Weatherford), Williams (McLennan); Record: McLennan 13-3 (2-0).
