The ninth-ranked McLennan women's basketball squad will head into the long holiday break with a 9-3 record after taking care of business this afternoon at The Highlands, defeating the Panola Fillies 83-44.
Panola controlled the opening tip but a quick McLennan steal followed by Saneea Bevley 3-pointer from the top of the key started a 6-0 scoring run to open the game. A Ja'Nae Southall bucket put Panola on the board with 7:52 to go in the first. McLennan continued to lead by six, 12-6, with 4:46 to play in the quarter. A layup by Bevley followed by buckets by Aysia Ward and Jalayah Ingram extended the lead to 12, 18-6. Panola then ended the period on a 5-0 run to trim the McLennan lead to seven after one period of play, 18-11.
McLennan was rolling in the second quarter. Peyton Hearvey opened the period with a 4-0 run of her own. The swarming defense held the Fillies scoreless for eight and a half minutes of play, allowing McLennan to build a 21-point lead, 32-11. An Awa Fane bucket with 1:31 to go before half would be Panola's only points of the quarter, and McLennan led 34-13 at the half.
Aniya Williams added bucket from the lane for McLennan less than 20 seconds into third quarter Nakaylyn Wells then drained a 3-pointer from the corner for Panola. McLennan responded with a 9-0 run by Williams and Mersadez Nephew to continue pulling away, and the squad led by 29 going into the final period, 61-32.
McLennan continued to dominate in the fourth quarter, spreading the wealth as eight different players found the basket in the frame. The squad led by as much as 39 points as it cruised to victory.
Bevley led McLennan with 16 points, and Williams score 13. Nephew and Ingram added 12 and 10, respectively.
Panola: Nakaylyn Wells 3 0-0 7; Taja Stephens 0 0-0 0; Tre' Anah Coppock 5 0-1 11; Awa Fane 3 0-0 8; Etaria Gibbons 0 0-0 0; Ja' Nae Southall 2 2-4 6; Hannah Young 2 0-2 4; Meilin Guo 1 0-0 2; Paige Taylor 3 0-0 6; Totals: 19 2-7 44.
McLennan: Aysia Ward 3 0-0 6; Saneea Bevley 7 0-0 16; Alaina Payne 2 1-2 5; Mersadez Nephew 4 2-2 12; Jalayah Ingram 4 2-3 10; Peyton Hearvey 3 1-2 7; Aniya Williams 6 1-3 13; Kalisha Phillips 1 2-2 4; Pauline Maccarthy 3 0-0 6; Peighton Jambor 2 0-0 4; Totals: 35 9-14 83.
First Quarter score: McLennan 18, Panola 11; Halftime score: McLennan 34, Panola 13; Third Quarter score: McLennan 61, Panola 32; 3-pointers: Panola 4 (Fane 2, Wells 1, Coppock 1), McLennan 4 (Bevley 2, Nephew 2); Total fouls: Panola 15, McLennan 12; Record: McLennan 9-3.
