TVCC GOES DOWN | KC Lady Rangers advance to title game in Baytown Saturday at 4 p.m.
By SHAWN CHRISTOPHER
Special to ETBLITZ.COM
BAYTOWN – So, they’re giant-killers.
Kilgore College’s Lady Rangers saw both ends of the spectrum in their two regular season matchups against conference-leading Trinity Valley this season, a 54-52 win at home back on Jan. 15, and then a 20-point loss, 83-63, in the rematch in Athens on Feb. 12.
When the two teams met here at Lee College on Friday afternoon, there was a lot more on the line: a berth in Saturday’s Region XIV Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game.
Needless to say, KC didn’t squander an opportunity.
The Lady Rangers embraced it.
Jarahle Daniels scored 20 points and Madison Bob and Nakiyah Allen each had 15, as the Lady Rangers derailed the locomotive that is Trinity Valley women’s basketball, knocking the Lady Cardinals from the tournament in the semifinals, 79-73, and advancing to the title game Saturday afternoon.
It’ll begin at 4 p.m., back here at Lee College, with the men’s championship game to follow.
KC (22-9 overall this season) will face either Blinn or Tyler Junior College in the women’s championship game. A win would give coach Stephanie Williams’ Lady Rangers a trip to the NJCAA Women’s National Tournament, a hallowed ground that many KC women’s players have journeyed to before, under late coach and program founder Evelyn Blalock.
Nobody was thinking about a national tournament or anything of the sort, likely, on Friday, as the Lady Rangers and Lady Cardinals battled for that spot in the championship game.
KC trailed by two, 16-14, after a back-and-forth first quarter, bearing much resemblance to the game at Kilgore’s Masters Gym in January.
The Lady Rangers kept it that way, but outscored TVCC by 10 in the third quarter, in what would be the difference in the game.
KC was KILLING it from three-point range, as they hit half of their three’s (6-of-12), and Bob and Daniels combined to hit five of them. Daniels, who finished with the 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and six steals, also went 8-of-8 from the free throw line.
Bob hit three three-pointers, had four assists, two steals and a rebound, and only played 29 of the game’s 40 minutes.
Allen had seven rebounds, two steals and an assist to go with her 15 points. Anlya Herbert had 11 points and five rebounds; Ja’Sani Green hit for eight points and had three rebounds; and Brooklyn King scored four, grabbing three rebounds, as well as four steals, and contributed with two assists. Tylissa Henderson scored four for KC, and had eight rebounds.
Trinity Valley was led by Monica Marsh’s 17 points and Kynnedi Davis, who had 15.
Saturday’s championship game will be streamed live here: TSBN Sports – the sports broadcasting network for 2023. We’ll update the link and this story after Blinn and Tyler finish their game.