LADY RANGERS BACK, CRUISE TO WIN | KC’s Evelyn Blalock Tourney continues Tuesday

Basketball is back in session (a little before class, actually) this week at Kilgore College, and there is really no bigger name in the history of Kilgore College sports than the woman they are honoring this week at Masters Gymnasium.

The Lady Rangers are hosting the two-day Evelyn Blalock Women’s Basketball Tournament, and no sports figure had more success on the women’s level at this college than coach Blalock, who guided their program to three NJCAA national championships.

Three games were played on Monday – New Year’s Day – at Masters, with Hill College beating Panola College, 83-65, and McLennan getting a somewhat-surprising 70-44 win over Tyler Junior College before the Lady Rangers took the court. KC routed Arkansas-Cossatot, 112-36.

The event resumes Tuesday at 11 a.m. with Panola facing Arkansas Cossatot, TJC facing Hill at 1 p.m., and KC taking on McLennan at 3.

Kilgore College 112, Arkansas Cossatot 36: This one got out of control in the first half – way out of control, in fact – and three players for KC wound up with at least 20 points.

Jazmyn Sostand and Jarahle Daniels each scored 21 points for the Lady Rangers – Daniels had four assists. BryKayla Hampton had 20 points, four steals and four assists. Nakiyah Allen had 15 points for KC, and Perina Lieme had 14. Nyla Inmon had eight points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Jordan Wright also had eight points, and Lucy Henderson had five.

Sofia Reyes led Cossatot with 14 points.

Some of those in attendance spoke to ETBlitz.com of some of their memories of Blalock, who guided KC to national championships in 1988, 1990 and 1993. She was the national junior college coach of the year in 1989 and 1990, is in the NJCAA Hall of Fame, and has been a two-time posthumous finalist for the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

As for KC’s Rangers, they are still on their holiday break; they’ll return to the court here at Masters on Saturday at 4 p.m. against Victoria College – that’s also a Region XIV Conference game. The Rangers, coached by Robert Byrd (in his first year here), are 10-4 overall and 1-2 in conference.

Kilgore College’s Jarahle Daniels (right) makes a move to the basket against Arkansas Cossatot on Monday in the first-ever Evelyn Blalock Women’s Basketball Tournament. KC won, 112-36, and faces McLennan at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Kilgore at Masters Gymnasium, although there are also games at 11 a.m. and at 1. (Photo by MITCH LUCAS – ETBLITZ.COM)