McLennan basketball teams fall to Collin

It was a tough day on the road for the McLennan basketball teams Saturday as both squads fell to their counterparts from Collin College.

In the early game that literally came down to the final seconds, the McLennan Highlassies fell to the Collin Lady Cougars 67-65 in Plano.

McLennan opened with a 4-0 run to take an early lead, but Collin tied the game at four with 6:50 to play in the first quarter. Highlassie JonNá McDonald drained a 3-pointer, and Shekenia Green followed with a jumper to put McLennan up by five, 9-4; they held a four-point lead at the end of the first, 18-14.

The Highlassies went up by six early in the second, but a Mya Johnson layup for Collin cut it back to four, 20-16. Another 5-0 run that included another McDonald 3-pointer and a hook shot by Chiqueria Cook gave McLennan its largest lead of the first half, 25-16 with 7:43 to play in the second quarter. The Lady Cougars pulled within four, but McLennan extended the lead back to six at the break, 35-29.

The second half was a tale of two quarters. McLennan led 44-40 with just under four minutes to play in the third quarter. The Highlassies broke the game open with a 15-0 run highlighted by six points from KeeKee Nowlin. Collin added a bucket in the final 30 seconds of the quarter, and McLennan led 55-42 going into the final period.

Collin rallied in the fourth, tying the game at 60 with 3:54 remaining in the game. Highlassie Jaylonn Walker scored four points in the next two minutes to put McLennan back up by four, 64-60. The Lady Cougars tied the game again – this time at 64 – with just over a minute to go. KeeKee Nowlin went one for two from the foul line with 14 seconds to play to put McLennan up by one, but a bucket and free throw by Collin's Johnson with 7.85 seconds on the clock stole the win for the Lady Cougars.

Jaylonn Walker led the Highlassies with 15 points. Velma Mitchell and KeeKee Nowlin added 13 and 11, respectively.

In men's action, the Highlanders fell to Collin 83-68. The game was close through the first half. McLennan led 10-9 with 14:32 to play in the first. A pair of layups from Dayante McClellan and Jordan Skipper-Brown would give the Highlanders their largest lead of the half, 14-9. Collin used sharp shooting from the 3-point line to take the one point lead midway through the half, 20-19. The Cougars' Jalen Weber led the Collin charge down the stretch. Collin led by as many as eight, but McLennan trimmed it to six at the half, 39-33.

McLennan opened the second half on an 8-2 run capped off with a bucket and one by Sasa Vuksanvic to tie the game at 41 with 16:36 to go. Collin used a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to begin pulling away. They increased their lead to double figures, 59-47, with 11 minutes to play and continued pulling away down the stretch. The Highlanders cut the lead to nine, 67-58, with 6:29 to go, but that would prove to be as close as they could get.

Jashawn Talton led the Highlanders with 22 points and Marquez Cooper added 10.

Collin 67, McLennan 65
McLennan: Patrickia Daily 10-0 3; Colandria Haynes 2 0-0 5; JonNá McDonald 2 0-0 6; Shekenia Green 1 0-0 2; Velma Mitchell 5 0-0 13; KeeKee Nowlin 5 2-4 11; Jaylonn Walker 5 4-7 15; Raveen Blue 0 0-0 0; Shankia Clark 0 0-0 0; Nadia Hayes 0 0-0 0; Chiqueria Cook 4 0-0 8; Anndrea Lloyd 1 0-0 2; Totals: 26 5-9 65.

Collin: Asia Davis 0 0-0 0; Jordynn Hernandez 2 2-2 6; Briana Marshall 3 0-0 7; Jasmin Taylor 5 4-4 16; Emmalee Williamson 0 0-0 0; Ashtyn Beal 2 1-2 6; Alyssa Powers 3 1-2 9; Mya Johnson 9 5-11 23; Totals: 24 13-21 67.

3-pointers: McLennan 8 (Mitchell 3, McDonald 2, Walker 1, Daily 1, Haynes 1), Collin 6 (Taylor 2, Powers 2, Beal 1, Marshall 1); Total fouls: McLennan 19, Collin 16; Halftime score: McLennan 35, Collin 29; Record: McLennan 10-9 (3-2).

Collin 83, McLennan 68
McLennan: Aaron Gregg 0 0-0 0; Javen Hedgeman 1 3-5 5; Marquez Cooper 4 1-2 10; Xaiver Armstead 1 0-0 2; Antoine Banks 0 0-0 0; Garrett Shaw 0 0-0 0; Jashawn Talton 8 2-2 22; Dayante McClellan 4 1-2 9; Daniel Pinho Severo 1 3-6 5; Jordan Skipper-Brown 2 0-0 4; Sasa Vuksanvic 4 1-2 9; Totals: 26 11-19 68.

Collin: C.J. Obinwa 6 1-3 16; Jonathyn Washington 1 3-4 6; Tyrick Bennett 2 1-2 5; Bradley Mason 0 0-0 0; Jalen Weber 5 6-6 20; Tajzmel Sherman 6 9-9 21; Lamont Simmons 1 0-0 3; Jackson Nobles 4 2-2 12; Ryan Flores 0 0-0 0; Josh Apple 0 0-0 0; Totals: 25 22-28 83.

3-pointers: McLennan 5 (Talton 4, Cooper 1), Collin 11 (Weber 4, Obinwa 3, Nobles 2, Simmons 1, Washington 1); Total fouls: McLennan 26, 20; Fouled out: Hedgeman (McLennan), Gregg (McLennan); Halftime score: Collin 39, McLennan 33; Record: McLennan 20-2 (3-1).