The No. 6 McLennan women fell to the No. 12 South Plains Lady Texas 79-74 on the opening day of the Frank Phillips Classic in Borger.
A slow start for both squads led to an early 3-0 lead for South Plains. A jumper by Akeelah Wade put McLennan on the board but it would be the Lady Texans to pull away for a five-point lead at 9-4. McLennan responded with a 6-0 run including 4-4 from the free throw line to take its first lead of the game at 10-9. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the first quarter with the Lady Texans leading 18-16 to start the second.
McLennan kept it close for the first five minutes of the second period. The squad trailed by two, 28-26 at the midway point went South Plains began to pull away. The Lady Texans went on a 13-4 run to close the half and led 41-30 at halftime.
It appeared South Plains would run away with the game early in the third quarter as the Lady Texans pushed the lead to 16, 57-41 with 3:35 on the clock. But McLennan began to fight back. Wade heated up from the 3-point line, draining three down the stretch, as McLennan pulled within three going into the final period, 59-56.
McLennan carried the momentum into the fourth. South Plains led by five, 66-61 with 7:14 to play. Shakira Brown's four-point run pulled McLennan within one at 66-65. A 3-pointer from Angelina Joao pushed the lead to four before back-to-back buckets by McLennan's Charnelle Hoof and Tajenae Gooden tied the game at 69 with just under five minutes to play. The Lady Texans went back up by two after Maya Braxton-Young and Isabel Joao both went 1-2 at the line. Danai Lewis stepped up for McLennan with a shot off the glass followed by 1-2 from the free throw line to make it 72-71 McLennan. The excitement was short-lived as South Plains ended the game on an 8-2 run to steal the win.
South Plains: Milani Smith1 2-4 5; Maya Braxton-Young 4 3-8 11; Valerie Richardson 0 0-0 0; Angelina Joao 5 10-11 22; Isabel Joao 5 7-10 17; Signe Nordvik 3 1-6 7; Daniela Gongo 3 0-0 6; Mila Krasteva 2 2-4 6; Dilangue Cruz 1 0-0 2; Shrouq Amer 1 0-0 3; Totals: 25 26-43 79.
McLennan: Nevaeh Otis 0 0-0 0; Ar'Mya Amos-Horsley 0 0-0 0; Akeelah Wade 4 6-6 17; Shakira Brown 1 0-0 3; Charnelle Hoof 3 0-0 6; Tajenae Gooden 4 5-5 13; Charravia Smith 2 2-3 6; Trinity Butler 3 2-2 8; Danai Lewis 3 1-2 7; Lanaijha Johnson 3 8-8 14; Totals: 23 24-26 74
Halftime score: South Plains 41, McLennan 20; 3-pointers: South Plains 4 (A Joao 2, Smith 1, Amer 1); McLennan 4 (Wade 3, Brown 1); Total fouls: South Plains 23, McLennan 30; Fouled out: Cruz (South Plains), Wade (McLennan), Johnson (McLennan; Record: McLennan 3-1.
