The McLennan Highlanders opened the 2016-17 season with a 114-81 romp over the Lone Star College-Tomball Timberwolves Wednesday evening at The Highlands.
The Highlanders dealt with first-game jitters early on and struggled to find a rhythm. Julius Palmer scored the first two baskets to give McLennan the early 4-0 run. LSC-Tomball used a 5-0 run to take a 5-4 lead with 15:52 to play in the first half. The two teams traded the lead for the next 10 minutes. The Timberwolves held the 36-35 lead with four minutes to go. The Highlanders ended the half on a 16-4 run to take an 11-point advantage into the break, 51-40.
McLennan pulled things together in the second half and began to play with intensity on both ends of the court. The Highlanders led 53-44 with 17:50 remaining in the game. McLennan used a 9-0 run over the next two minutes to blow the game open and continued to pull away down the stretch.
Sophomore Shannon Bogues led the Highlanders with 25 points and sophomore Isaiah Gurley added 20. Sophomores Derrick Farquharson and Hayden Hunter scored 18 and 12 points, respectively. Sophomore Julius Palmer rounded out the Highlanders in double-figures with 10 points.
LSC-Tomball: Ernest Davis 4 0-0 12; Antonio Anderson 4 5-8 13; Dandre Walker 1 0-0 3; Miguel McCray 3 0-0 8; Nathan Anthony 3 0-0 6; Rondell Desir 2 5-8 9; Design Lennette 6 0-2 16; Daniel House III 3 0-0 9; Jaren Chevalier 1 3-4 5; Totals: 26 15-22 81.
McLennan: Kyle Brennon 3 0-0 8; Zarious Wilson 3 0-0 7; Hayden Hunter 5 2-2 12; Derrick Farquharson 6 3-3 18; Shannon Bogues 8 7-7 25; Isaiah Gurley 8 4-5 20; David Johnson 2 0-2 4; Daniel Pinho Severo 1 3-4 5; Fred Jackson 2 0-1 5; Julius Palmer 4 2-3 10; Totals: 42 21-27 114.
3-pointers: LSC-Tomball 14 (Davis 4, Lennette 4, House 3, McCray 2, Walker 1), McLennan 8 (Farquharson 3, Brennon 2, Bogues 2, Wilson 1); Total fouls: LSC-Tomball 22, McLennan 19; Halftime score: McLennan 51, LSC-Tomball 40; Record: McLennan 1-0.
