The McLennan women picked up a road win over the Southwestern Christian Rams 85-74 tonight in conference play.
Southwestern Christian jumped out to an early 4-0 lead before a 3-pointer from the wing by Ar'Mya Amos-Horsley ignited a 7-0 run for McLennan. The Rams rallied back, taking the lead at 8-7 with 4:28 to play in the first. The teams traded baskets with McLennan taking the slight two-point advantage with one minute to go. Southwestern Christian ended the quarter on a 7-0 run including a last-second 3-pointer by Gabrielle Bradley to lead 19-14.
A Kenya Taylor shot off the glass 30 seconds into the second period made it a seven-point Rams lead, 21-14. McLennan stepped up, using a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to lead 23-21. It was back-and-forth between the two teams down the stretch with McLennan lead 37-34 at the half.
McLennan turned it on in the third with Tajenae Gooden scoring three points to open the period. The team continued to rally, taking the first double-digit lead with a three-point play by Shakira Brown with 7:22 to go in the frame, 47-36. McLennan led by as many as 13 in the quarter and held the 61-50 advantage going into the fourth.
In the final period, McLennan continued to hold the momentum. Already up by 10, 64-54, a Gooden 3-pointer started a 7-0 to give the squad it's largest lead of the contest at 71-54. Southwestern Christian didn't back down and rallied late led by Takiyah Lewis and Bennett to cut the lead to nine with one-minute to go, 80-71. That would prove to be as close as the Rams could get.
Tajenae Gooden led McLennan with 17 points, and Danai Lewis added 16. Lanaijha Johnson and Charravia Smith scored 14 and 10, respectively.
McLennan: Nevaeh Otis1 1-2 3; Kaedynce Cox-Dunlap 2 0-0 5; Ar'Mya Amos-Horsley 1 1-4 4; Shakira Brown 1 2-3 4; Charnelle Hoof 3 1-2 7; Tajenae Gooden 4 8-10 17; Charravia Smith 5 0-0 10; Trinity Butler 0 3-4 3; Joy Dau 1 0-0 2; Danai Lewis 7 2-4 16; Lanaijha Johnson 6 2-2 14; Totals: 31 20-31 85.
Southwestern Christian: Kenya Taylor 6 2-4 15; Danielle Bennett 8 7-8 23; Cra'Lajah Bradley 2 2-4 7; Andrielle Johnson 0 1-2 1; Destiny Lewis 7 2-2 21; Gabrielle Bradley 1 0-0 3; Amani Fields 0 0-0 0; Takiyah Lewis 0 0-0 0; Gracie Oma 2 0-0 4; Kaliyah Moss 0 0-0 0; Brandi Turner 0 0-0 0; Totals: 26 14-20 74.
Halftime score: McLennan 37, Southwestern Christian 34; 3-pointers: McLennan 3 (Cox-Dunlap 1, Amos-Horsley 1, Gooden 1), Southwestern Christian 8 (Lewis 5, K. Taylor 1, C. Bradley 1, G. Bradley 1); Total fouls: McLennan 22, Southwestern Christian 25; Fouled out: Oma (Southwestern Christian), Lewis (Southwestern Christian); Record: McLennan 17-4 (5-3).
