The McLennan Highlanders fell to the Angelina Roadrunners 68-65 on the road tonight in Lufkin.
It was a low-scoring start for both teams as the shots bounced off the iron. Angelina opened on a 5-0 run before Daylon Dickerson put the Highlanders on the board with 18:08 on the clock. The Roadrunners led 12-7 with just over nine minutes to go in the half. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Antwone Gonzales gave McLennan its first lead at 13-12 less than a minute later. The Highlanders built a six-point lead at 21-15 with 4:47 remaining in the half. Angelina pulled within two before the McLennan used an 8-0 run to take the first double-digit lead and led 31-21 at the break.
The Highlanders pushed the lead to 13, 40-27 with 14:16 remaining in the game. Angelina began to rally, pulling within four, 45-41. Mason Lockhart stepped up for McLennan scoring nine points in a row to help keep the Roadrunners at bay. Angelina pulled within two at 51-49 with 5:46 to play. Nick Shogbonyo drained a 3-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer on the next possession to make it a five-point lead but the Roadrunners continued to rally. Angelina to a one-point lead on a Patrick Johnson jumper with 2:32 to go, 56-55. The Roadrunners continued to lead by one when Kai'Ree Murray hit a 3-pointer to make it a four-point lead, 61-57. The Roadrunners pushed the lead to six with 36 seconds to play. McLennan pulled with two with less than five seconds to go but was unable to pull any closer.
Nick Shogbonyo led McLennan with 20 points and Daylon Dickerson scored 16. Mason Lockhart and Antwone Gonzales added 15 and 12, respectively.
McLennan: Daylon Dickerson 701-1 16; Nick Shogbonyo 7 3-4 20; Jaden Juarez 0 2-2 2; Jhaden Brown 0 0-0 0; Antwone Gonzales 4 2-5 12; Cameron Crockett 0 0-2 0; Jaden Walker 0 0-0 0; Evan Chatman 0 0-0 0; Mason Lockhart 6 3-4 15; Totals: 24 12-18 65
Angelina: Patrick Johnson 7 5-6 20; Kai'Ree Murray4 3-5 12; Kyle Morgan 4 1-2 11; Chris Carpenter 0 0-0 0; Eddie Evans 1 0-0 2; Keddric Mays II 2 0-0 4; Xavier Owens 5 3-3 13; Morgan Baldwin 2 0-0 4; Elijah Moody 0 0-0 0; Cade Holzman 0 2-2 2; Totals: 25 14-18 68.
Halftime score: McLennan 31, Angelina 21; 3-pointers: McLennan 6 (Shogbonyo 3, Gonzales 2, Dickerson 1), Angelina 4 (Morgan 2, Johnson 1, Murray 1); Total fouls: McLennan 20, Angelina 18; Fouled out: Brown (McLennan); Record: McLennan 7-1.
