PORT HURON, Mich. – The Johnson County women's basketball team rallied from its largest deficit in NJCAA D-II Tournament history to down Mesa Community College 77-74 in an elimination game in Port Huron, Mich. Johnson County will play in the fifth-place game on Saturday, March 19. The victory also is the 499th of head coach Ben Conrad's college coaching career.
The Lady Cavaliers (33-2) trailed the Mesa by 15 points, 53-38, with just over four minutes remaining in the third quarter and it appeared JCCC's season would come to a disappointing end. Then Johnson County rallied, outscoring the Thunderbirds 13-to-4 to pull within six at the end of the third quarter, 57-51.
Then it became the Jaylen Townsend show in the fourth. Last year's National Player of the Year had been held scoreless through the first three quarters, but in the final 10 minutes she exploded for 14 points, hitting all four of her 3-point attempts and both free throws to power JCCC to the victory.
Freshman Kierra Prim tallied five of her game-high 17 points in the fourth to make sure the Lady Cavaliers season would continue. Prim also grabbed four rebounds and had four steals.
Coach Conrad also got sold effort from MacKenzie Hart (8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists), Nariyah Simmons (8 points, 3 assists), Shonyah Hawkins (8 points) Gabby Fuller (7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) and Jayde Williams (6 points, 2 assists).
Rylee Young led the Thunderbirds with 20 points, but the Lady Cavaliers held her scoreless in the final period.