KC WINS! | Knocks out Walters State; Lady Rangers face No. 1 Chipola (Florida) on Thursday

Kilgore College will get its shot at the nation’s No. 1 team.

The Lady Rangers won its first-round game in the NJCAA Women’s National Basketball Tournament on Tuesday, beating Walters State, a Tennessee junior college, 75-59.

KC’s Nakiyah Allen flirted with a double-double; Allen finished as the game’s leading scorer with 25 points, and also had nine rebounds, as well as three assists, a steal and a blocked shot.

The Lady Rangers, making their seventh tournament appearance overall, but their first since 1993, are 24-9 overall. And now, they’ll have a chance to gauge themselves against the No. 1-ranked team in the nation.

Top-ranked Chipola (Florida), who recently took over the No. 1 spot in the NJCAA’s poll, is also the number one seed in the tournament. Chipola didn’t have a first-round opponent, as the top eight teams get a bye into the first round.

KC and Chipola will meet on Thursday at 11 a.m. (10 a.m. Wyoming time) on Thursday.

Against Walters State, it was a slow start for both teams. Madison Bob, Allen, Ja’Sani Green, Jarahle Daniels and Brooklyn King got the start for coach Stephanie Williams’ Lady Rangers, facing one of the nation’s best players in Walters’ Terryauna Griffin.

But neither team could hit early – with five minutes left in the first quarter, the score was tied at 2-all.

That would change, as both teams picked up the pace in the second quarter. Just before the half, Daniels stole a pass and put in a lay-up, breaking a tie and giving the Lady Rangers a 32-30 halftime lead – slim, but a lead.

The key to the whole game: the Lady Rangers’ third-quarter outburst, a 25-point spurt that blew the game wide open. And Walters (25-6 to finish the season), who had been known for its defense all season, just could not catch up.

KC finished with 41 rebounds – that’s 25 more than the Lady Senators averaged allowing per game.

As mentioned, Allen had nine of them. Daniels had nine, as well, to go along with her eight points, an assist, and a steal. Bob had nine ponts, five rebounds, seven assists and a steal; Green had eight points and four rebounds; Anyla Herbert had 10 points off the bench and three rebounds; Tylissa Henderson and Camryn Beck each finished with six points – Henderson had five rebounds and Beck, three steals; Kamari Forrest had two points, and Rhianna Battles had one.

KC shot just over its average, hitting 47 percent of its shots (31-of-65). Walters was woefully less (just 20-of-64, far worse (31 percent). Griffin, who came in averaging almost 16 points a game, was held to just six points.