In a tough battle, the McLennan Highlanders fell to the Weatherford Coyotes 86-75.
McLennan opened the game on a 7-0 run to take the early lead. Weatherford responded with an 8-0 run of its own, taking the lead on a Donato Joseph bucket with 15:32 to play in the first. The two teams traded baskets and the lead for the next seven minutes of play with McLennan leading 29-28. The Coyotes used a 7-0 run to begin creating a slight bit of distance over the Highlanders. Weatherford led by six, 40-34 with four minutes to play before the half. McLennan rallied and took the lead on an Antwone Gonzales jumper with 1:31 on the clock 44-42. Weatherford's Jared Washing tong hit a 3-pointer less than 10 seconds later to give the Coyotes the 45-44 lead at the half.
McLennan continued to battle and kept it close through the first six minutes of the second half. Weatherford led 55-52 and used a 12-0 run to build a double-digit lead midway through the half. The Highlanders weren't backing down. The Coyotes led by 15, 69-54, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Nick Shogbonyo and Jaden Juarez pulled the Highlanders within nine, 69-60. McLennan pulled within seven before the Coyotes pulled away once again leading by as many as 14 down the stretch.
Antwone Gonzales led the Highlanders with 21 points and Nick Shogbonyo scored 19. Daylon Dickerson and Jaden Juarez added 17 and 14, respectively.
Weatherford: Wayne Wiggins 6 3-3 16; Donato Joseph 4 2-2 12; Jared Washington 8 0-0 18; Melvin Quennecart 2 0-0 4; Jamie Hodges 4 0-2 8; Handy Toussaint 0 0-0 0; Gordon Magok 6 1-2 13; Tyson Whybrew 3 0-0 8; Marcus-Myen King-Danchie 2 0-0 5; Hamza Ghoulial 1 0-0 2; Totals: 36 69 86.-
McLennan: Daylon Dickerson 7 3-8 17; Nick Shogbonyo 7 3-3 19; Jaden Juarez 4 4-5 14; Antwone Gonzales 9 0-0 21; Landon Anderson 0 0-0 0; Cameron Crockett 2 0-2 4; Jaden Walker 0 0-0 0; Totals: 29 10-18 75.
Halftime score: Weatherford 45, McLennan 44; 3-pointers: Weatherford 8 (Joseph 2, Washington 2, Whybrew 2, Wiggins 1, King-Danchie 1), McLennan 7 (Gonzales 3, Juarez 2, Shogbonyo 2); Total fouls: Weatherford 19, McLennan 12; Record: McLennan 16-8 (3-5).
