The 13th-ranked McLennan women fell to the No. 22 Collin Cougars 58-44.
McLennan began the game on a 4-0 run with a basket by Lanaijha Gooden followed by a pair of free throws from Charnelle Hoof. A jumper in the lane by Gabby Morales put Collin on the board with 8:43 to go in the quarter. McLennan's Danai Lewis added a bucket from the post, and Collin added a Morales layup to make it 6-4 McLennan at the media timeout. The Cougars used an 11-0 run to build a seven-point lead at 13-6 with 1:26 to play in the first. Another pair of Hoof free throws for McLennan stopped the rally but Mufaro Mapengo's jumper just before the buzzer made it a 15-8 Cougar lead.
McLennan found more of a rhythm in the second quarter. The squad opened on another 4-0 and continued to rally, cutting the lead to one with a Gooden 3-pointer, 18-17 midway through the quarter. McLennan kept pace with Collin, tying the game at 21 on a pair of Hoof free throws with three minutes to play before the half. A hook shot by Charravia Smith briefly gave McLennan the two-point lead before a pair of Morales free throws tied the game once again at 23. Both teams added a basket and it would be tied at 25 at the half.
It was a slow start for both teams in the third. The game was tied at 29 with 5:12 to go in the period. A 3-pointer by Shakira Brown followed by a put-back bucket by Johnson put McLennan up by five, 34-29 with just over three minutes on the clock. The squad continued to lead by five at 36-31 with 2:30 to go. Collin added a basket by Sara Basaran and free throw by Taliah Martin to cut the lead to two going into the fourth, 36-34.
The teams battle back-and-forth to start the final quarter. Collin tied the game early with a Martin jumper before a bucket by Brown put McLennan back up by two, 38-36. Collin responded with a 13-0 run over the next two minutes to build an 11-point lead at 49-38 with 5:17 to play. Johnson bounced a shot off the glass for McLennan with 4:57 to go to stop the Cougar rally, 49-40. Collin went back up by 11 at 51-40 before Ar'Mya Amos-Horsley went 4-4 from the free throw line for McLennan to pull within seven. The Cougars ended the game on a 7-0 run to secure the win.
Charnelle Hoof led McLennan with 12 points, and Lanaijha Johnson scored 10.
McLennan: Nevaeh Otis 0 0-0 0; Kaedynce Cox-Dunlap 0 0-0 0; Ar'Mya Amos-Horsley 0 6-6 6; Shakira Brown 1 0-0 3; Charnelle Hoof 3 6-6 12; Tajenae Gooden 1 0-0 3; Charravia Smith 2 0-0 4; Trinity Butler 0 0-0 0; Danai Lewis 1 0-0 2; Lanaijha Johnson 5 0-0 10; Kamara Effit 0 0-0 0; Totals: 15 12-12 44.
Collin: Gabby Morales 6 5-5 17; Trinity Thomas 0 0-0 0; Olivia Grgicevich Lassey 4 0-0 8; Ella Macleod 0 1-2 1; Mufaro Mapengo 3 1-2 7; Abby Sokolova 0 0-0 0; Sara Basaran 5 1-2 12; Taliah Martin 5 3-5 13; Totals: 23 11-16 58.
Halftime score: McLennan 25, Collin 25; 3-pointers: McLennan 2 (Brown 1, Gooden 1), Collin 1 (Basaran 1); Total fouls: McLennan 18, Collin 15; Fouled out: Cox-Dunlap (McLennan), Johnson (McLennan); Record: McLennan 16-4 (4-3).
