A buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Jaden Walker gave the McLennan Highlanders the 80-78 victory over the North Lake Blazers tonight at The Highlands.
Landon Anderson, returning from injury, began the scoring for the Highlanders with a 3-pointer from the elbow, and Mason Lockhart followed with a shot from the paint to make it a 5-0 McLennan run. The Highlanders built a seven-point lead at 14-7 with 12-09 to go in the first half. North Lake came raring back and took the lead on a Jakob Zenon bucket midway through the half, 16-14. The teams traded the lead and the game was tied at 25 with 5:32 to go in the half. McLennan ended the half on a 17-5 run, including 11 points from Daylon Dickerson, to take the 42-30 lead at the break.
North Lake rallied, cutting the Highlander lead to four at 42-38 with less than two minutes off the clock to start the second half. McLennan pulled away once again and led by 10 at 64-54 midway through the half. The Blazers continued to fight, pulling within two on a Bryson Smith 3-pointer from the corner with just under six minutes to play. A Randy Woolf bucket on North Lake's next possession tied the game at 72. The teams traded baskets with McLennan leading by one going into the final minute. A Ring Deng layup with 38 seconds to go made it a one-point North Lake lead, 78-77. McLennan had multiple shots and offensive rebounds on its final possession. The Highlanders inbounded the ball with 6.6 seconds to play. Dickerson found Walker open on the line, and his last-second shot was nothing but net, giving McLennan the thrilling win.
Daylon Dickerson led the Highlanders with 19 points. Evan Chatman and Jaden Juarez scored 13 points each. Mason Lockhart and Landon Anderson added 10 points each.
North Lake: Jakob Zenon 8 0-1 22; Randy Woolf 3 2-2 10; Bryson Smith 5 0-0 10; Autavius Hobbs 2 2-2 7; Ring Deng 6 2-7 16; Daylen Webb 2 1-2 5; Anden Holmes 2 0-0 5; Jermey Irwin 1 0-0 3; Totals: 29 7-14 78.
McLennan: Daylon Dickerson 5 6-10 19; Jaden Juarez 6 0-0 13; Jhaden Brown 0 0-0 0; Antwone Gonzales2 2-2 6; Landon Anderson 3 2-2 10; Jaden Walker 4 0-0 9; Evan Chatman 5 3-3 13; Mason Lockhart 4 2-5 10; Jude Lambert 0 0-0 0;
Totals: 29 15-22 80.
Halftime score: McLennan 42, North Lake 30; 3-pointers: North Lake 13 (Zenon 6, Woolf 2, Watkins 2, Hobbs 1, Holmes 1, Irwin 1), McLennan 7 (Dickerson 3, Anderson 2, Juarez 1, Walker 1); Total fouls: North Lake 16, McLennan 13; Record: McLennan 8-1.
