KC WINS IT! | Lady Rangers claim Region XIV Conference tourney title; qualify for national tourney in Wyoming March 25-April 1
By SHAWN CHRISTOPHER
Special to ETBLITZ.COM
BAYTOWN – It seems only fitting that, when it came time to crown the champion for the 2025 Region XIV Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament, the OG – the conference’s ORIGINAL dynasty – would return to the throne.
And that’s exactly what happened here Saturday afternoon at Lee College in Baytown.
A day after taking down top-seeded Trinity Valley, the program that’s been the dominant team in the conference for the last several years, it was Kilgore College – whose women’s program had risen to heights before any other in this conference – re-claiming their birthright, so to speak.
Coach Stephanie Williams and the Lady Rangers beat archrival Tyler Junior College, 67-58, on Saturday in the conference tournament’s championship game to both claim the title and earn a spot in the NJCAA Women’s National Tournament, to be played at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, Wyoming on March 25-April 1.
It will be the Lady Rangers’ first appearance in the national tournament since former coach and program founder Evelyn Blalock guided them there in 1993.
It looked for a while on Saturday like the Lady Rangers (23-9) would cruise to the title: they were up by double digits, what looked to be a comfortable amount, with just under eight minutes left in the fourth period against Tyler.
Tyler came roaring back, and with 2 ½ minutes left, cut KC’s lead to just one point, 59-58.
They wouldn’t score another point.
KC went on an 8-0 run to finish the game, grabbing rebounds and doing just enough to keep TJC off balance and hold on for the win.
KC’s Nakiyah Allen was named the women’s tournament’s overall most valuable player, and teammates Jarahle Daniels and Madison Bob were named to the all-tournament team.
In the championship game, though, Anyla Herbert came off the bench for the Lady Rangers to hit for 16 points. She also had six rebounds and a steal, and blocked a shot. She only missed one shot from the floor.
Bob and Allen each had 12 points: Allen also had four rebounds, an assist and a steal, and Bob had six rebounds, six assists, three steals and blocked three shots, just an awesome defensive performance.
Daniels scored 10 points, had nine rebounds, had five assists, and had three steals. Ja’Sani Green added eight points, three rebounds and a steal; Kamari Forrest scored five, and had a rebound and a steal; Tylissa Henderson scored two, had four rebounds, a steal and an assist; and Brooklyn King also scored two, and had two rebounds and a steal.
De’Lonna Choice had 18 points to lead TJC, and Taler Thornton scored 10.
KC shot 42 percent from the floor as a team, and held TJC’s bench to just nine total points.