LADY RANGERS ADVANCE | KC men, women still in RXIV tourneys; men play TVCC at 1 p.m. Thursday, Lady Rangers-TVCC Friday at 1

By SHAWN CHRISTOPHER

BAYTOWN – Maybe it’s Ranger Magic.

Well, maybe some of that – but a lot of hard work and effort in practice likely had something to do with it.

At any rate, both Kilgore College basketball teams have advanced out of the first round in their respective Region XIV Conference tournaments here at Lee College in Baytown.

The Lady Rangers punched their ticket to the women’s semifinals Wednesday afternoon with a 60-50 win over Panola College.

KC’s men had won Tuesday, knocking Paris from the tournament in the final seconds, 73-72 (Our recap: RANGERS WIN IN ROUND ONE | Lady Rangers-Panola today at 3; men resume tourney Thursday).

Both the men’s and women’s conference tournaments are single elimination; a loss means you’re out.

Both KC squads now meet Trinity Valley, which owns the top seeds in both the men’s and the women’s tournaments. There are only men’s games on Thursday, and KC-Trinity Valley is the very first one, a 1 p.m. start to see which team can reach the conference semifinals.

The women’s tournament takes a break on Thursday, and returns Friday afternoon with the semifinals. That’s where the Lady Rangers will meet Trinity Valley, Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. to start things off.

So the men’s bracket took Wednesday off; Wednesday belonged to the ladies, as No. 1 seed Trinity Valley dispatched Coastal Bend, 93-43, in the first game, and then coach Stephanie Williams’ Lady Rangers took on Panola.

KC’s women are the tournament’s No. 4 seed; Panola was No. 5.

KC 60, Panola 50 (women): The Lady Rangers picked up win No. 21 this season with a 12-point victory over a Panola team that they had split two meeting with this season.

KC led 36-22 at halftime.

Nakiyah Allen led the way for the Lady Rangers: 17 points, five rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Teammate Jarahle Daniels added 11 points, five rebounds, five steals and two assists. Those were the only two members of the Lady Rangers to score in double figures.

Madison Bob had eight points and Brooklyn King seven for KC; Bob had seven rebounds, two steals and two assists and King had five rebounds, three teals and two assists.

Anyla Herbert had seven points four rebounds and two steals; Ja’Sani Green added six points; Tylissa Henderson had four; and Rhianna Battles had two.

KC, now 21-9 this season, went 14-of-26 from the free throw line, just over 50 percent.

Na’Kaylyn Wells scored 17 to lead Panola; Awa Fane had 10.

Tonight, the women’s tournament continues: Blinn meets Angelina College at 6 p.m., and it’s Tyler Junior College facing Paris in the nightcap at 8.

Thursday, it’s the ladies’ turn to take the day off.

The men’s tournament resumes with the final eight. KC meets Trinity Valley Thursday at 1; No. 4 Blinn meets No. 5 Lee at 3 p.m.; two-seed Angelina faces No. 7 Tyler Junior College at 6 p.m., and No. 3 Panola meets No. 6 Navarro Thursday night at 8.

Friday, it’s nothing but semifinals, starting with the two women’s semifinal games at 1 p.m. and at 3. KC-Trinity Valley play that first one.

Friday evening are the two men’s semifinal games, a 6 p.m. start, then an 8 p.m. start.

Both tournament championship games are Saturday. The women’s game tips off at 4, and the men’s at 7.

All tournament games will be broadcast live on the Texas Sports Broadcasting Network. Here’s the link for Thursday’s KC-Trinity Valley men’s contest at 1 p.m.: Kilgore vs. Trinity Valley – TSBN Sports. When the link is added for the KC-TVCC women’s game Friday, we’ll place it here.

We’ve placed this in every story on the tournament, but for those planning to attend any of the remaining games, some information:

For anyone planning to make the trip to Baytown for the remaining games:

• The address for Lee College is 200 Lee Drive, Baytown, TX 77520.
• Tickets are $12 each for adults, $8 each for students (with your student ID) and those are good for a session, not a game. Sessions are two games. For instance, the 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. games each day are one “session.” The second session of each day are the 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. games. So one ticket would admit someone for both a 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. game, or the 6/8 block.
• Also available for purchase is the tournament pass for $40, which admits someone for the entire tournament.
• Tickets are only available at the door, but cash and cards are both excepted. There are no passes for the event other than the tournament pass mentioned above.
• Parking for the tournament should be in the Sports Arena & Wellness Center parking lot off South Whiting Street.