The McLennan Highlanders battled for a 76-68 win over the Temple Leopards tonight in Temple.
Anthony Scott began the scoring with a 3-pointer for the Leopards but the Highlanders stepped up the defense and score the next 14 points to take the 14-3 lead. Temple began to rally and cut the lead to four at 16-12 with 10:17 to go in the half. Back-to-back 3-pointers from CJ Hall put the Highlanders back up by 10, 24-14. The cushion was short lived as Justin Collins heated up for the Leopards from 3-point range. Temple pulled within one, 35-34 with 40 seconds to play before the half. Nick Shogbonyo added a pair of fee throws to put McLennan back up by three, 37-34.
It was a tight game throughout the second half. The two teams traded baskets for the first six minutes. The game was tied at 46 with 13:59 to play. Buckets by Shogbonyo and Jaylen Thompson made it a four-point McLennan lead. The Highlanders extended it to eight and held the six-pointe advantage at the final media timeout with four minutes to play, 66-60. McLennan led by eight with a minute to go. A Hall 3-pointer from the corner put the Highlanders up by 11 and secured the win.
Shogbonyo and Hall led the Highlanders with 25 points each.a
McLennan: Nick Shogbonyo 8 8-10 25; CJ Hall 9 2-3 25; Dayvaughn Froe 0 0-0 0; Jaylen Thompson 4 1-2 9; A.J. Barnes 0 0-0 0; Jared Clawson 0 0-0 0; Omarion Smith 2 0-0 4; Mason Lockhart 2 0-0 4; Kaleb Pouncy 5 1-1 16; Khalif Allim 2 0-0 4; Totals: 29 12-16 76.
Temple: Justin Collins 4 0-0 12; Kino Thompson 2 2-2 7; Anthony Scott 3 3-3 10; Desmond Green 0 0-0 0; John Muhammad 0 0-0 0; Adrian Cohen 7 2-2 20; Ugochukwu Ejifor Jr. 2 2-2 6; Norman Beckford 1 0-0 2 ; Braelon Seals 5 0-0 11; Totals: 57 9-11 68.
3-pointers: McLennan 6 (CJ Hall 5, Shogbnoyo 1), Temple 11 (Cohen 4, Collins 4, Thompson 1, Scott 1, Seals 1); Total fouls: McLennan 12, Temple 14; Halftime score: McLennan 37, Temple 34; Record: McLennan 22-5 (9-2).
