Ninth-ranked McLennan women's basketball pummeled the Panola Fillies 78-55 this afternoon in Waco.
It was all McLennan in the opening quarter. The squad opened on a 5-0 run with a 3-pointer by Tajenae Gooden and drive by Charnelle Hoof. The strong McLennan defense held Panola to just one free throw in the firs four and a half minutes of play, allowing them to build a 14-1 lead. The Fillies added a pair of Shaine Parker free throws just after the media timeout but McLennan responded with back-to-back buckets by Gooden and Hoof, 18-3. Die Diop finally sank a floater for Panola with 3:06 to go in the quarter. The Fillies pulled within 12 but it would be a 15-point McLennan lead going into the second, 23-8.
The McLennan momentum carried into the second quarter. Trinity Butler drained a 3-pointer from the wing to open the scoring for McLennan. Panola stayed at arm's length until midway through the period when McLennan began to increase the distance. The squad led by 13, 31-18, when a 5-0 run by Gooden extended it to 18, 36-18. The squad continued to push and led by 25 at the half, 50-25.
The tables turned just slightly in the third quarter. Panola found more of an offensive rhythm and worked to cut the McLennan lead down 16 at 56-40 with 3:35 to play in the period. McLennan used a 5-0 composed of a pair of Lanaijha Johnson free throws and a 3-pointer from Kaedynce Cox-Dunlap to make it a 21-point lead at 61-40 just a minute later. The Fillies didn't back down and pulled back within 16 going to the final quarter, 63-47.
The teams battled in the fourth. McLennan pushed the lead back to 21 early but once again Panola rallied to pull back within 16, 70-54 with six minutes to play. McLennan added a bucket by Johnson before both teams went cold. McLennan outscored Panola 4-1 at the free throw line as neither team made a field goal in more than five minutes of play. Johnson's jumper for McLennan in the final 35 seconds stopped the drought, putting McLennan up by 23, 78-55.
Tajenae Gooden led McLennan with 17 points. Danai Lewis and Charnelle Hoof scored 14 points each, and Lanaijha Johnson added 11.
Panola: Gloria Tony 0 0-0 0; Die Diop 6 6-7 18; Rylyn Gilmore-Rose 1 6-10 8; Jaya Johnson 2 0-1 5; Kahli Ingram 0 2-2 6; Summer Henderson 3 1-2 9; Berete Kante 2 1-2 5; Alannah Nerocker 0 0-0 0; Shaine Parker 0 2-2 2; Cedraiah Peterson 1 0-0 2; Totals: 15 18-26 55.
McLennan: Nevaeh Otis 0 0-0 0; Kaedynce Cox-Dunlap 1 0-0 3; Ar'Mya Amos-Horsley 0 0-0 0; Shakira Brown 2 1-3 6; Charnelle Hoof 6 2-2 14; Tajenae Gooden 8-9 17; Charravia Smith 3 2-3 8; Trinity Butler 2 0-0 5; Danai Lewis 6 2-3 14; Lanaijha Johnson 3 5-5 11; Kamara Effit 0 0-0 0; Totals: 27 20-25 78.
Halftime score: McLennan 50, Panola 25; 3-pointers: Panola 3 (Henderson 2, Johnson 1); McLennan 4 (Cox-Dunlap 1, Brown 1, Gooden 1, Butler 1); Total fouls: Panola 22, McLennan 19; Record: McLennan 9-1.
