The McLennan Highlanders squeaked out a 72-67 victory over the Lee Navigators in overtime this afternoon in Baytown.
The Navigators controlled the game early on, opening on a 5-0 run before a pair of Joseph Mayberry put the Highlanders on the board with a pair of free throws two and a half minutes into the game, 5-2. Lee pushed the lead to seven at 9-2 on Jayden Thomas dunk with 16 minutes to go in the first half. Evan Chatman's jumper just 20 seconds later lit a spark for McLennan and the Highlanders rallied to take a one-point lead at 11-10 on a pair of Amare Banks free throws with 10:29 on the clock. A turn-around bucket in the lane by Matthew Nyakundi briefly put Lee back on top, 12-10, but the Highlanders quickly erased it. Chapman drained a 3-pointer from the wing to ignite a 14-0 run to give McLennan the 25-12 lead with 6:30 to play in the half. The Navigators rallied down the stretch, cutting the lead to nine with a Josh Smith 3-pointer just before the buzzer, 37-28.
Lee's momentum carried over into the second half with the Navigators opening on an 11-2 run to tie the game at 39 with 14:49 to go in regulation. A Mayberry bucket from -the paint put McLennan back on top and the Highlanders pushed the lead to eight, 47-39, with 9:36 to go. McLennan held the nine-point lead at 55-46 with 5:40 on the clock. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Bryce Smith pulled Lee back within three, 55-52. The teams continued to battle with McLennan still leading by three, 61-58, with 2:46 to play. A pair of driving buckets by Smith gave Lee the 62-61 lead with two minutes to go. Rontavious Blackshear and Kardae Turner combined to go 3-4 from the line following a Lee foul and additional technical foul to put the Highlanders up 64-62. A pair of Takoreyn Lawson three pointers for the Navigators tied the game, and Chatman's long 3-pointer at the buzzer bounced off the iron for McLennan to send the game into overtime.
In the extra period, the two teams took turns at the free throw line with Lee leading 67-55 with 2:34 to go. Mayberry's two free throw's put McLennan up by one, then John Ateny banked a shot off the glass and Chatman added a bucket to secure the win.
Joseph Mayberry led the way for the Highlanders with 24 points. Chatman and Rontavious Blackshear added 15 and 10, respectively.
McLennan: Rontavious Blackshear 2 5-6 10; Joseph Mayberry 6 9-13; 24; Kardae Turner0 1-2 1; Amare Banks 3 3-5 9; Ari Gooch 0 0-0 0; Keegan Rowell 0 0-0 0; Evan Chatman 5 4-4 15; John McQueen 2 0-0 4; Frederick Rogers, III 2 2-3 6; Joe Burgess 1 1-4 3; Totals: 21 25-37 72.
Lee: Jacari Westbrook1 0-1 3; Daniel Williams 0 0-0 0; Bryce Smith 6 4-7 18; Shamiere Green 2 0-0 4; Matthew Nyakundi 1 3-4 5; Takoreyn Lawson 1 3-7 5; Josh Smith 8 6-8 22; Hunter Kelleher 0 0-0 0; Jayden Thomas 3 2-6 8; Mamadou Kane 0 0-0 0; Totals: 22 18-33 67.
Halftime score: McLennan 37, Lee 28; 3-pointers: McLennan 2 (Mayberry 1, Chatman 1), Lee 5 (J. Smith 2, B. Smith 2, Westbrook 1); Total fouls: McLennan 25, Lee 24; Fouled out: McLennan (Rogers III), Lee (B. Smith, Thomas); Record: McLennan 12-3.
