LADY RANGERS TO SEMIS | They crushed Panola; KC men face Blinn today at 3 p.m. at TJC
By SHAWN CHRISTOPHER
TYLER – Former Kilgore College Lady Rangers coach, the late Evelyn Blalock, was honored Wednesday night at the Region XIV Conference Women’s Tournament’s quarterfinals, here at Floyd Wagstaff Gymnasium on the Tyler Junior College campus.
And then, especially in the second half, the program she founded played like one of Blalock’s teams, holding Panola College to just eight third-quarter points in what would become a rousing 88-64 Lady Rangers win.
The result: well, a berth in the conference semifinals on Friday, where they’ll take on two-seeded Trinity Valley.
Today, it’s Kilgore College’s men that are in action, against a longtime familiar face: they’ll take on former KC head basketball coach Scott Schumacher and the Blinn Buccaneers at 3 p.m. The winners will join the Lady Rangers in the semifinals on Friday – and the losers will go home, for good, this season.
KC’s Jamil Muttilib. (Photo from KCRANGERNATION.COM)
Get the latest information on the tournament, and ticket information, NJCAA Region XIV Basketball Tournament 2024 – Region 14 Athletics. But for anyone who can’t go and would like to watch the online streaming broadcast, with KC’s own Manny Almanza calling the action, do so on YouTube here: TJCApacheAthletics – YouTube.
More on the guys in a second. Let’s talk about the ladies’ win over sixth-seeded Panola.
Kilgore College 88, Panola College 64 (women): The first half of this one was close – very close, with several one-point leads and Panola even taking a five-point lead (39-34) into the half.
Panola built the lead on four three-point shots by Awa Fane, from Senegal.
But KC held Panola to eight points, as mentioned, in the third quarter and by the time Nyla Inmon buried a long two-point basket, a near-three, just before the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter, the Lady Rangers had outscored Panola 32-8.
Fane finished with 27 points, but KC’s defense cooled her off greatly in the second half. She only 11 in the second, finishing with five three-point shots (four in the first).
For KC, Inmon had 16 points, 10 in the second half. Perina Lieme had 15. BryKayla Hampton and Nakiyah Allen each had 14 points, Allen netting 12 in the second half. Jazmyn Sostand had 11. Erin Love had seven. Jordan Wright had six, Lucy Henderson had three, and Jarahle Daniels added two.
In other games on Wednesday, top seed Angelina College beat Coastal Bend, 75-63; Blinn edged Tyler Junior College, 77-72; and Trinity Valley beat Paris going away, 83-64.
So in Friday’s semifinal games, Angelina will take on fourth-seeded Blinn at 1 p.m., and the Lady Rangers will meet No. 2 seed Trinity Valley at 3 p.m. And again, ticket information and most any other question about the tournament can be answered at the tournament link above, and the streaming link to watch the game is also above, at the YouTube link.
The winners of Friday’s semifinals will meet in the Region XIV Conference Women’s Championship Game on Saturday at 4 p.m., also at TJC’s Wagstaff Gymnasium. And the title-game winner will go on, for sure, to represent the conference in the NJCAA National Tournament, as Blalock and the Lady Rangers did so proudly on so many occasions.
Blalock, who really actually founded the women’s basketball program at Kilgore College and was the architect of its greatest success, was recognized with the presentation of a plaque to her family members Wednesday.
Coach Blalock’s plaque actually does say “Legend” on it, and appropriately so: Blalock, the feisty, high-heel-wearing coach with the penchant for winning did little else during her 18 seasons at the helm of the Lady Rangers, leading them to three national championships and went to the national tournament on three other occasions, as well.
KC won titles in 1988, 1990 and 1993.
Blalock has been a finalist for the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame twice. She died in 2011.
Accepting the award on her behalf on Wednesday were her sister Paula Parker, Parker’s husband Keith Parker, and Kilgore College Athletic Director Courtney Pruitt. On hand for the presentation as well, representing the conference, was Shawn Silman, RXIV women’s director.
KC Rangers to face Blinn at 3 p.m. today (men): Scott Schumacher led the Rangers’ men’s basketball program for many years, and on Thursday afternoon, he’ll do his best to send them into the offseason.
And they’ll do their best to end Schu’s season, as well, to send the Bucs home, too.
That’s the way it works in tournament time.
On Tuesday, in the first round, fifth-seeded KC, now led by coach Robert Byrd, took down No. 12 Bossier Parish, 78-65, and Blinn, seeded fourth this season, had a bye. Now the Bucs will jump into the action, facing the Rangers at 3.
Come out to Wagstaff to watch, or watch online on the TJC Apaches’ YouTube channel at the link above.
The winners will play Friday at 6 p.m. against either top-seeded Lee or eighth-seed Paris in the semifinals for the right to go to the conference championship game – that’s Saturday night at 7 p.m.
By the way, in the only game between KC and Blinn in the regular season, back on Dec. 2, KC lost, 88-56. But a LOT of basketball has been played since then.