Highlanders defeat Collin, Highlassies fall
In a game that came down to the final seconds, the McLennan Highlanders defeated the Collin Cougars 82-78.
Jerami Grace began the scoring for the Highlanders with a 3-pointer less than 20 seconds into the game. McLennan led 5-2 with 16:49 remaining in the first half. Collin used a 9-0 run to take the 11-5 lead with 14:12 to go. The Cougars extended the lead to eight before the Highlanders rallied, tying the game at 22 with just under seven minutes to play. McLennan led 34-33 with two minutes to go in the half. The Highlanders ended the half on a 7-1 run including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Aundre Jackson to take the 41-34 advantage at the break.
Collin cut the lead to two, 45-43, with 16:40 remaining in the game. McLennan extended the lead to nine, 66-57, with just under eight minutes to play. The Highlanders used a 5-1 run to take their largest lead of the game, 71-58, with 6:09 to go. The Cougars used sharp shooting from the free throw line to trim the lead to six, 75-69. K.J. Boyd made one free throw for McLennan to put the Highlanders up by seven. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Collin's Liam O'Reilly and Zach Brown pulled the Cougars within one, 76-75, with 1:28 to play. Jackson made a free throw for McLennan with one minute to go to put the Highlanders up by two, 77-75. A blocked shot on defense and lay-up by Zach Charles extended the lead to four, 79-75, with 22 ticks on the clock. O'Reilly drained a 3-pointer from the corner with 16 seconds to go to cut the McLennan lead to one, 79-78. Grace drained three of four free throws in the final 12 seconds to seal the win.
Grace led the Highlanders with 24 points and Aundre Jackson added 17. Shannon Bogues and Fred Jackson scored 14 points each.
In women's action, the Highlassies fell to the 18th-ranked Lady Cougars 78-69.
Collin opened the game on a 12-0 run. McLennan got on the board with a Tayla Taylor jumper with 4:32 remaining in the first quarter. The Highlassies rallied to cut the lead to six at the end of the first, 14-8. McLennan found their rhythm in the second and took the 24-23 lead on an Ariana Sanders lay-up with 2:44 to play in the second quarter. Collin led 30-27 at the break.
McLennan trimmed the lead to one early in the second half before the Lady Cougars pulled away. Collin led by nine, 42-33, with 5:07 to play in the third. The Highlassies cut the lead to four but the Lady Cougars pulled away again, leading 58-50 at the end of the third. McLennan cut the lead to four several times in the final quarter but was unable to pull any closer.
Caylinne Martin led the Highlassies with 17 points and Dariel Johnson added 10.
McLennan 82, Collin 78
Collin: Liam O'Reilly 5 4-4 18; Anthony Sanders 1 1-2 4; Spencer Franklin 4 4-6 13; Zach Brown 2 11-15 15; Chris Perry 1 1-2 3; Trevonta Robertson 2 3-4 9; Joby Jackson 6 4-6 16; Totals: 21 28-39 78.
McLennan: Ben Nakwaasah 1 3-4 5; K.J. Boyd 0 1-2 1; Jerami Grace 6 9-12 24; Shannon Bogues 5 3-4 14; Aundre Jackson 7 2-4 17; Jalyn McKoy 1 0-0 2; Zach Charles 1 0-0 2; Fred Jackson 6 2-2 14; Ricky Curry 1 1-2 3; Totals: 28 21-30 82.
3-pointers: Collin 8 (O'Reilly 4, Robertson 2, Franklin 1, Sanders 1), McLennan 5 (Grace 3, Bogues 1, A. Jackson 1); Total fouls: Collin 25, McLennan 29; Fouled out: Collin (Franklin); Halftime score: McLennan 41, Collin 34; Record: McLennan 19-3 (3-1).
Collin 78, McLennan 69
Collin: Dierra Ely 4 3-4 14; Jaileen Thomas 6 11-12 24; Tree Brooks 0 2-2 2; Alexis Johnson 0 2-2 2; Taylor Jackson 5 11-13 21; Micayla Buckner 2 1-2 5; Zhanae Whitney 4 2-2 10; Totals: 21 32-37 78.
McLennan: Kiana Martin 2 0-2 5; Kyera Coleman 2 0-0 5; Dariel Johnson 4 0-0 10; Diamond Ervin 2 2-4 6; Ariana Sanders 3 0-1 6; Raven Ringo 2 2-2 8; Tayla Taylor 4 1-2 9; Tori Thompson 1 1-2 3; Caylinne Martin 8 1-1 17; Totals: 20 7-14 69.
3-pointers: Collin 4 (Ely 3, Thomas 1), McLennan 4 (Johnson 2, K. Martin 1, Coleman 1); Total fouls: Collin 20, McLennan 31; Fouled out: McLennan (Coleman, Ringo); Halftime score: Collin 30, McLennan 27; Record: McLennan 9-11 (4-1).