The McLennan Highlanders outlasted a back-and-forth battle with the Ranger Rangers for a 68-60 conference victory.
It was a 6-0 Highlander run to open the game to start the game with baskets by Joseph Mayberry, Rontavious Blackshear and Frederick Rogers III. McLennan led by five, 11-5 with 13:34 to go in the half. A 4-0 Ranger run pulled the Rangers within two midway through the half, 11-9. McLennan took control with a 10-0 run including four points from Mayberry to go up 21-9. A bucket by Chase Collins ended the Rangers five-minute scoring drought. Ranger continued to battle, pulling within five on a Collins 3-pointer with 1:45 to go. Rogers III added a bucket 20 seconds later to give the Highlanders the seven-point lead at halftime, 29-22.
Ranger quickly gained the momentum in the second half, rallying to tie the game at 31 on a Kaylon Mason 3-pointer with 15:49 remaining in the game. The two teams traded baskets and the Rangers took their first lead on another Mason 3-pointer three minutes later, 40-39. A drive along the baseline by Ari Gooch followed by a nothing-but-net 3-pointer by Evan Chatman gave the Highlanders a four-point cushion, 44-40. Ranger cut the lead to one several times, including 48-47 with 9:24 to play. The Highlanders created a small gap with a 7-0 made up of four points from Mayberry an a 3-pointer from Amare Banks, 55-47. Ranger rallied once again, and trailed by three, 63-60 with 2:47 to go. Chatman drained another 3ipointer with a minute on the clock to extend that Highlander lead to six, 66-60. Gooch added a pair of free throws just 14 seconds later, 68-60, sealing the Rangers fate.
Evan Chatman led the Highlanders with 19 points, and Amare Banks scored 14. Joseph Mayberry added 12 points, and Rontavious Blackshear scored 10.
Ranger: Kaylon Mason 7 1-1 20; C.J. Evans 3 0-1 6; Nelson Johnson, Jr. 0 0-0 0; Anthony Medlock 3 0-0 7; Chase Collins 5 2-2 15; Addison Archer 4 0-0 10; Able Houston 1 0-0 2; Jaime Puentes 0 0-0 0; Totals: 23 3-5 60.
McLennan: Rontavious Blackshear 4 0-0 10; Joseph Mayberry 5 2-2 12; Kardae Turner 0 0-0 0; Amare Banks 5 2-2 14; Ari Gooch 2 2-2 6; Keegan Rowell 0 0-0 0; Evan Chatman 6 2-2 19; Frederick Rogers, III 2 1-3 5; Joe Burgess 1 0-0 2; Maximilian Blank 0 0-1 0; Totals: 25 9-12 69.
Halftime score: McLennan 29, Ranger 22; 3-pointers: Ranger 11 (Mason 5, Collins 3, Archer 2, Medlock 1), McLennan 9 (Chatman 4, Banks 2, Blackshear 2); Total fouls: Ranger 13, McLennan 9; Record: McLennan 21-4 (8-1).
