No. 17 Highlanders top Eastfield

The McLennan Highlanders moved to 12-1 on the season with a 98-65 victory over the Eastfield Harvesters Wednesday at The Highlands.

The first half began with a series of scoring runs. McLennan opened the game on a 4-0 run with back-to-back layups by Javen Hedgeman and Jashawn Talton. Eastfield responded with an 8-0 run to build a four-point lead, 8-4, with 17:51 to play in the first half. The Highlanders followed with an 8-0 run of their own to take the 12-8 lead with 15 minutes to play in the first half. The Harvesters rallied to tie the game at 18 with 12:26 to go. McLennan then used another run, this time of the 7-0 variety, to lead 25-18 midway through the half. Eastfield rallied again, tying the game at 31 with 4:21 to play in the first. The Highlanders ended the half on a 14-3 run to hold the 45-34 advantage at intermission.

McLennan didn't let up in the second half, opening on an 8-2 run to build the 53-36 lead with 18:15 remaining in the game. Eastfield would trim the lead to 13 a few minutes later but the Highlanders continued to pull away down the stretch.

Javen Hedgeman led the Highlanders with 19 points. Marquez Cooper and Jashawn Talton scored 15 points each. Xaiver Armstead scored 12. Sasa Vuksanvic and Garrett Shaw added 10 points each.

The Highlanders will close out the fall portion of their season Friday with a 2 p.m. contest at Lone Star College-Tomball.

Eastfield: Sean Odum 2 1-7 5; Rashaun Coleman 3 1-2 9; J.J. Murray 5 0-0 13; Anthony McGee 2 2-2 7; Dajuan Ridgeway 3 1-2 9; Danny Salamah 1 0-1 3; Kuol Arop 4 3-4 11; Melvin Daniels 0 2-2 2; Michael Fuller 3 0-2 6; Totals: 23 10-22 65.

McLennan: Aaron Gregg 0 3-3 3; Javen Hedgeman 8 2-5 19; Marquez Cooper 6 1-1 15; Xaiver Armstead 4 2-2 12; Garrett Shaw 4 0-0 10; Jashawn Talton 7 0-0 15; Dayante McClellan 0 1-1 1; Daniel Pinho Severo 2 0-0 4; Jordan Skipper-Brown 3 1-2 7; Sasa Vuksanvic 4 2-4 10; Malachi Barron 1 0-0 2; Totals: 39 12-19 98.

3-pointers: Eastfield 8 (Coleman 2, Murray 2, Ridgeway 2, McGee 1, Salamah 1), McLennan 8 (Cooper 2, Armstead 3, Shaw 2, Hedgeman 1, Talton 1); Total fouls: Eastfield 21, McLennan 25; Fouled out: McLennan (Cooper); Halftime score: McLennan 45, Eastfield 34; Record: McLennan 12-1.