The McLennan Highlanders closed out the 2023-24 basketball season with a 99-85 victory over the Southwestern Christian Rams this afternoon in Terrell.
McLennan opened the game on a 4-0 run with buckets by Antwone Gonzales and Cameron Crockett. Southwestern Christian responded with a 10-0 run over the next two minutes to take the 10-4 lead with 16:42 to play in the first half. The Rams continued to pull away, taking the first double-digit lead at 15-5 with 14:26 on the clock. The Highlanders battled, slowly chipping away at the lead and pulling within two on a last-second 3-pointer by Landon Anderson at the buzzer, 43-41.
McLennan's momentum carried over into the second half. The Highlanders tie the game on a Jaden Juarez stop-and-pop shot less than a minute into the half and took the lead with a Daylon Dickerson dunk just 15 seconds later, 45-43. The two buckets were part of an 8-0 run to open the half. McLennan pushed it's lead to 10 at 70-60 with 11 minutes to play. Southwestern Christian pulled within six at 75-69 a few minutes later but that would prove to be as close as the Rams would get.
Nick Shogbonyo led McLennan with 28 points, and Daylon Dickson added 23. Landon Anderson scored 22, and Jaden Juarez chipped in 14.
McLennan: Daylon Dickerson 10 2-7 23; Nick Shogbonyo 8 11-13 58; Jaden Juarez 6 0-0 14; Antwone Gonzales 4 0-0 8; Landon Anderson 8 0-0 22; Cameron Crockett1 0-0 2; Jaden Walker 1 0-0 2; Totals: 38 13-20 99.
Southwestern Christian: Jamari Lawrence 10 7-10 33; Wryan Williams 3 0-0 8; Xavier Brown 0 0-1 0; Remon Tuck 2 2-2 6; Dylon Richardson 1 0-0 2; Jamarion Brown 7 11-12 26; Nathaniel 0 1-2 1; Kasai Burton 1 0-0 3; Kayden Crosby 2 0-2 6;
Totals: 26 21-29 85.
Halftime score: Southwestern Chrisitan 43, McLennan 41; 3-pointers: McLennan 10 (Anderson 6, Juarez 2, Shogbonyo 1, Dickson 1), Southwestern Christian 12 (Lawrence 6, Williams 2, Crosby 2, Burton 1, J. Brown 1); Fouled out: J. Brown (Southwestern Christian); Record: McLennan 19-11 (6-8).
