The McLennan women's basketball squad fell to the Temple Leopards 61-50 this afternoon at The Highlands.
The ball was bouncing Temple's way in the opening quarter. Chyna Nixon banked a shot off the glass for the Leopards with just over seven minutes on the clock to begin the scoring. Danai Lewis went 1-2 from the free throw line to put McLennan on the board with 6:43 to go. Temple then went on a 14-0 run to lead 16-1 at the end of the first.
McLennan found a spark to start the second quarter. Tajenae Gooden drained a 3-pointer just 30 seconds into the frame. Temple added a 3-pointer from Korina Garcia on the next possession to quickly go back ahead by 15, 19-4. Gooden hit another long ball, and Charnelle Hoof added a layup to pull McLennan within 10, 19-9 with 8:55 to go before the half. Temple pushed the lead back to 15 with 24-9 but McLennan responded with a 6-0 run to trim it to nine, 24-15. Both teams added a basket and it would be 28-17 Leopards at the half.
Temple led by 12, 38-26 with three minutes left in the third. That's when McLennan began to rally. Lanaijha Johnson scored four points to pull McLennan within eight at 38-30, and the squad held that gap until the start of the fourth, 40-32.
In the final quarter, the Leopards pulled away again, leading by 15 at 49-34 with six minutes remaining. Four consecutive free throws by Gooden cut the lead to 11, 49-38. McLennan pull within 10 a couple times late in the period but ran out of time to complete the comeback.
Gooden led McLennan with 16 points, and Charnelle Hoof added 14.
Temple: Korina Garcia 4 2-2 12; Gabby Edo 5 0-0 11; Chyna Nixon 6 3-6 17; Antronea Jackson 6 0-0 15; Daija Mitchell 1 0-2 2; Emori Lasalle 2 0-0 4; Totals: 24 5-10 61.
McLennan: Nevaeh Otis 0 0-0 0; Kaedynce Cox-Dunlap 1 0-0 3; Ar'Mya Amos-Horsley 1 0-2 3; Shakira Brown 0 1-2 1; Charnelle Hoof 5 4-4 14; Tajenae Gooden 3 8-8 16; Charravia Smith 0 1-2 1; Trinity Butler 0 0-0 0; Danai Lewis 1 1-4 3; Lanaijha Johnson 3 3-5 9; Totals: 14 18-27 50.
Halftime score: Temple 28, McLennan 17; 3-pointers: Temple 9 (Jackson 3, Garcia 3, Nixon 2, Edo 1), McLennan 4 (Gooden 2, Amos-Horsley 1, Cox-Dunlap 1); Total fouls: Temple 21, McLennan 14; Fouled out: Edo (Temple); Record: McLennan 16-3 (4-2).
