The McLennan women's basketball team gave head coach Candice Thomas her first career victory with a 76-55 win over the Western Texas Westerners tonight in the McLennan Classic.
McLennan took the floor with power and intensity. A Peyton Hearvey bucket put McLennan on the board less than a minute into the contest and set the pace for the first quarter. Hearvey took control, scoring the first 11 points for McLennan. The stifling defense held Western Texas to just three points in the first eight minutes of play to give McLennan the 19-3 lead. The Westerners ended the period on a 4-0 run including an Alliah Scallion basket at the buzzer to cut the McLennan lead to 11 going into the second, 19-8.
Western Texas pulled within nine at 24-15 with 7:11 to go in the second quarter. McLennan responded with an 8-0 run highlighted by 3-pointers from Saneea Bevley and Alaina to push the lead to 17 with 4:16 to play before the half. Another Bevley 3-pointer from the corner gave McLennan the 20-point lead at 20-20 but an off-balanced shot from the Westerners Briana Montoya in the final seconds cut it to 18 at the break, 40-22.
McLennan came out of the locker room fired up, opening on a 7-0 run and kept Western Texas at arm's length throughout the third quarter. McLennan held the 60-38 advantage going into the fourth and held the Westerners scoreless for the first four minutes of the final period to push the lead to 26, 66-40, and cruised the rest of the way.
Saneea Bevley led the way with 22 points and Peyton Hearvey added 13. Peighton Jambor and Aniya Williams scored 10 points each.
Western Texas: Rachel Okoye 2 0-3 4; Alliah Scallion 5 1-2 12; Michaela Ray 1 1-1 3; Deborha Oladina 0 0-0 0; Alyssa Hutterer 7 1-1 20; Briana Montoya 4 0-0 10; Rhianna Rivers Richardson 2 2-4 6; Totals: 21 5-11 55.
McLennan: Aysia Ward 0 2-2 2; Saneea Bevley 9 0-0 22; Alaina Payne 2 0-0 5; Mersadez Nephew 2 0-0 6; Jalayah Ingram 2 2-2 6; Peyton Hearvey 6 1-4 13; Niyah Johnson 1 0-0 2; Aniya Williams 5 0-0 10; Pauline Maccarthy 0 0-0 0; Peighton Jambor 4 2-2 10; Totals: 27 7-10 76.
First Quarter score: McLennan 19, Western Texas 8; Halftime score: McLennan 40, Western Texas 22; Third Quarter score: McLennan 60, Western Texas 38; 3-pointers: Western Texas 8 (Hutterer 5, Montoya 2, Scallion), McLennan 7 (Bevley 4, Nephew 2, Payne 1); Total fouls: Western Texas 14, McLennan 20; Fouled out: Richardson (Western Texas); Record: McLennan 1-1.
