The No. 11 McLennan Highlanders moved to 17-0 on the season with a thrilling 101-95 victory over the North Lake Blazers Saturday afternoon at The Highlands.
McLennan came out fired up with Shannon Bogues and Fred Jackson combining to open the game on a 6-0 run. North Lake's Ayo Dada put the Blazers on the board with a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 17:34 remaining in the first half, cutting the Highlander lead in half, 6-3. The Blazers pulled within one before McLennan began to pull away. The Highlanders led 20-17 with 11:35 to go in the half. Jackson found Bogues cutting to the basket with 10:33 on the clock to extend the lead to five, 22-17. Isaiah Gurley and Zarious Wilson hit back-to back 3-pointers to complete an 8-0 run and extend the Highlanders lead to 11, 28-17. McLennan led by 15 with 3:54 to play in the first half, 45-30. The Blazers ended the half on a 16-5 run to cut the McLennan led to four at the break, 50-46.
The game was tight throughout the second half. North Lake tied the game at 50 with 19:14 remaining in the game. The Blazers took the 61-60 lead on a Lupe Alba jumper with 14:04 to play. McLennan responded with a 7-0 run over the next two minutes topped off by a Gurley 3-pointer from the baseline to take the 67-61 lead. North Lake rallied again, tying the game at 68 midway through the half. The game was tied again at 72 with 8:22 to go. Wilson and Bogues combined for a 6-0 run to give the Highlanders the six-point advantage, 78-72, with 7:18 to play. The Blazers erased the McLennan lead with 2:51 on the clock, tying the game at 84. Wilson drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1:46 to go. Gurley came up with a steal on the next possession and the long pass to Bogues for a wide-open layup, extending the lead to five, 89-84. Another Bogues shot with 50 seconds to play kept the Highlanders up by five, 91-86. North Lake began to foul with just under 30 seconds on the clock. The Blazers' Dada hit 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions down the stretch, but Bogues and Gurley combined to go 10-10 from the free throw line to seal the win for the Highlanders.
Bogues led the three Highlanders in double figures with 33 points. Gurley picked up a double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds, including five 3-pointers in the first half. Wilson added 16 points.
North Lake: Dare Brazeal 8 0-1 16; Nathan Bradley 0 0-0 0; Akeem Black 4 4-4 13; Deondre Hopkins 2 0-0 6; Aye Dada 10 0-1 28; Cailen Bond 1 0-0 3; Lupe Alba 10 3-3 23; Josh Harris 2 2-3 6; Totals: 37 9-12 95.
McLennan: Kyle Brennon 0 0-0 0; Zarious Wilson 5 3-4 16; Hayden Hunter 2 0-0 5; Derrick Farquharson 1 0-0 2; Shannon Bogues 11 11-11 33; Isaiah Gurley 7 8-8 28; Jashawn Talton 1 0-0 2; Daniel Pinho Severo 3 0-0 6; Fred Jackson 4 0-0 8; Julius Palmer 0 1-2 1; Totals: 34 23-25 101.
3-pointers: North Lake 12 (Dada 8, Hopkins 2, Black 1, Bond 1); McLennan 10 (Gurley 6, Wilson 3, Hunter 1); Total fouls: North Lake 17; McLennan 15; Fouled out: North Lake (Black); Halftime score: McLennan 50, North Lake 46; Record: McLennan 17-0.
