McPherson, Kan. — The Central Christian College of Kansas women’s basketball team continued their strong start to the season, defeating Randall University 68–40 on Saturday afternoon to close out the McPherson Classic. With the win, the Tigers improve to 2–0, marking the first time since 2008 that a Central women’s basketball team has opened the season with two straight victories.
Chloe Clevenger led the Tigers scoring 23 points for the second consecutive night while adding eight rebounds, two steals, and two assists. Her consistent scoring across both games made her the McPherson Classic’s leading scorer. Kylee Jones followed closely with 19 points, finishing as the second-leading scorer in the Classic as the duo combined for 42 of Central’s 68 points.
The Tigers opened the game with a highlight-reel play as Charmayne Marshall connected with Clevenger for an alley-oop layup. Clevenger and Jones set the early tone, scoring 13 of the team’s 15 first-quarter points as Central led 15–11 after one. Randall briefly took a 16–15 lead early in the second quarter before Jones responded with a seven-point personal run, giving the Tigers a 22–16 advantage—a lead they never relinquished.
Freshman C’Niyah Williams had a breakout performance, scoring eight points (six in the third quarter) and contributing five rebounds and two steals. Cristina Laudan added 7 points, with 5 in the 4th quarter. The Tigers’ defense forced Randall into 22 turnovers and winning the rebound battle 41–37.
The victory caps a 2-0 weekend for Central, at the McPherson Classic and led for all but 1:14 seconds in the 2 games. The Tigers will look to carry their momentum into the Mayor’s Cup matchup against McPherson College (3–0) on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. at McPherson College. Central earned its first-ever Mayor’s Cup win last season, edging McPherson 59–58.
McPherson Classic – Top 3 Leaders by Category
Scoring
| Rank | Player | Team | Total | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chloe Clevenger | Central Christian College | 46 | 23.0 PPG |
| 2 | Kylee Jones | Central Christian College | 40 | 20.0 PPG |
| 3 | Gabrielle Burrus | Cottey College | 32 | 16.0 PPG |
Rebounding
| Rank | Player | Team | Total | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chloe Clevenger | Central Christian College | 14 | 7.0 RPG |
| 2 | Cristina Laudan | Central Christian College | 13 | 6.5 RPG |
| 3 | Alex Collins | Randall University | 13 | 6.5 RPG |
Assists
| Rank | Player | Team | Total | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charmayne Marshall | Central Christian College | 12 | 6.0 APG |
| 2 | Olivia Bell | McPherson College | 10 | 5.0 APG |
| 3 | Alex Collins | Randall University | 9 | 4.5 APG |
Steals
| Rank | Player | Team | Total | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chloe Clevenger | Central Christian College | 6 | 3.0 SPG |
| 2 | Amyah Williams-Woodmore | McPherson College | 5 | 2.5 SPG |
| 3 | 3 Tied at 2.0 |
Blocks
| Rank | Player | Team | Total | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristina Laudan | Central Christian College | 3 | 1.5 BPG |
| 2 | Several Tied at 1.0 |
