BASKETBALL: Lady Chaps storm back to beat No. 3 NMJC

But then in the fourth quarter, the Lady Chaparrals not only got some key defensive stops but continued to be stellar from the free-throw line as they used a 19-4 run to close the game and hand the Lady Thunderbirds a 65-59 loss at Chaparral Center.

MC (11-4, 2-1 in Western Junior College Athletic Conference) hit 26 of 30 free throws and got a game-high 25 points from Makayla Escue as NMJC (14-2, 1-1) saw an 11-game winning streak end.

NMJC led 37-23 at the half and led 55-46 before the Lady Chaps went on their big run.

"That was big," Jones said of the comeback. "We overcame that second quarter. (The Lady Thunderbirds) hit a bunch of shots and we kind of got down mentally. But (the Lady Chaps) responded and it was a good second half, obviously.

"We hit free throws and we stayed aggressive. I really liked the way we started the game, and for most of the first quarter our defense was good, but we weren't very good offensively. But we got it back in the second half. Momentum is important and we got some momentum and finished it out."

Escue said the keys for her team were overcoming the adversity and continuing to fight.

"It's been a mental battle all season," she said. "When other teams start hitting shots and their defense is working, we get down a little bit. It's crucial that we don't get in our heads too much, and I think that was the difference in this game. We didn't get our heads down and stayed together. I think it was a matter of our effort and not giving up."

For the large chunk of the game, Escue was the most consistent on the offensive end for the Lady Chaps as the 6-foot-2 sophomore was aggressive inside and she was also good from the charity stripe, hitting 12 of 13 attempts.

"It was tiring, for sure, but it was worth it because I've been working my butt off," said Escue, who scored eight of her points in the 25-point fourth quarter.

Fellow sophomore Bella Green was also key in the final quarter as she tied the game at 57-all with a 3-pointer with 1:23 remaining and then later gave her team the lead for good, 62-59, with a three-point play with 23 seconds left in the contest. She finished with 18 points.

Kim Schrama added nine points for MC, while Dana Thompson added 10 rebounds.

NMC had four players in double figures, led by Jada Miller with 12 points. Danna Grenald, Cabria Lewis and Precious Cowan each added 10 points each.

MC looks to continue that momentum at 2 p.m. Saturday with a road game at Clarendon College.

"I think a win like that gives us confidence," Jones said. "We've got (a game) at Clarendon, Western (Texas) and Odessa … we've got a tough week coming up. But it was good to get one at home."

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