Highlanders prevail over Hill

The McLennan Highlanders came from behind to defeat the Hill Rebels 84-78 Wednesday night at The Highlands to move to 26-1 on the season and 8-1 in conference play.

Hill appeared to be in control from the start. The game was tied at seven with 16:41 in the first half. The Rebels used a 5-0 run over the next minute and a half to begin pulling away. Hill extended its lead to 15, 31-16, with 8:11 to go in the first. McLennan began to chip away at the lead behind strong shooting from Isaiah Gurley. The Highlanders pulled within seven, 41-34, with a minute remaining in the first half and trailed the Rebels 43-34 at intermission.

McLennan played like a completely different team in the second half. The Highlanders opened on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to three, 43-40. Hill led by four, 58-54, with 12:15 remaining in the game. Derrick Farquharson and Gurley combined for a 5-0 run capped off by a Gurley 3-pointer to take the 59-58 lead, the Highlanders' first of the game, midway through the half. The two teams traded the lead for the next seven and a half minutes of play with neither holding more than a two-point advantage. Hill led 78-76 with 2:37 remaining. Shannon Bogues tied the game with a pair of free throws and gave McLennan the two-point advantage on a jumper with 1:20 on the clock. A Jashawn Talton tip-in bucket and two more Bogues free throws, combined with strong defensive pressure down the stretch, sealed the win.

Bogues led the Highlanders with 26 points. Gurley and Talton added 16 and 14, respectively. Talton was one rebound shy of a double-double with nine.

McLennan 84, Hill 78

Hill: Braxton Shaw 5 2-2 12; Davion Turner 1 2-2 4; K.J. Malveau 7 3-6 19; Antanee Pinkard 1 0-0 2; Simpson Anderson 6 1-1 15; Shamar Bailey 3 0-0 7; Quincy Taylor 3 0-0 9; Narcisse Kalamba 2 2-2 8; Jacques Lukusa 1 0-0 2; Totals: 29 10-14 78.

McLennan: Zarious Wilson 2 0-0 6; Chamar Hawkins 0 2-3 2; Hayden Hunter 1 0-0 2; Derrick Farquharson 4 1-2 9; Shannon Bogues 8 6-6 26; Isaiah Gurley 5 5-8 16; Jashawn Talton 6 2-5 14; Daniel Pinho Severo 0 0-0 0; Fred Jackson 3 1-3 7; Julius Palmer 1 0-0 2; Totals: 30 17-27 84.

3-pointers: Hill 10 (Malveau 2, Anderson 2, Kalamba 2, Bailey 1), McLennan 7 (Bogues 4, Wilson 2, Gurley 1); Total fouls: Hill 20, McLennan 18; Halftime score: Hill 43, McLennan 34; Record: McLennan 26-1 (8-1).