The McLennan Highlanders came from behind to defeat the Grayson Vikings 92-80 tonight at The Highlands.
The game was tit-for-tat through the first four minutes of play. McLennan held the slim 6-5 lead before Grayson took control. The Vikings constructed a 9-0 run to begin creating some distance between the two squads. Grayson extended the lead to 16, 30-14, before the Highlanders stepped up their game. An Evan Chatman bucket was the spark McLennan needed. The Highlanders 10-0 run, back-to-back 3-pointers by Chatman and Rontavious Blackshear cut the lead back to six, 30-24, with 6:16 to play in the first half. Grayson pulled away again, leading by 12 with two and a half minutes on the clock, 40-28. A Chatman 3-pointer off an inbound pass under the McLennan goal cut that back to nine, 40-31. The teams traded baskets and Grayson led 42-33 at the half.
Grayson continued to lead by nine, 48-39, with 16:18 to play. McLennan rallied to pull within four a couple times but the Vikings would respond with a 3-pointer to keep the Highlanders at bay. The Vikings would lead 62-55 with 10:32 to go. A 5-0 run by Ari Gooch followed by a bucket in the paint from Frederick Rogers, III tied the game at 65 a minute and a half later. A Jayden Garces 3-pointer put Grayson back on top but Gooch went 3-3 from the free throw line on the next possession to tie the game once again. Blackshear and Chatman both 1-2 from the free throw line following a Grayson shooting foul and technical foul to give McLennan the 67-65 lead with 7:31 on the clock. The Highlanders continued to pour it in, using those free throws to start a 14-0 run putting McLennan up 79-65 with just over three minutes to go. Grayson pulled within 10 late but that would be as close as it would get.
Grayson: Marcus Burnett 6 1-2 18; Nicholas Anthony 5 2*2 16; Terrance Ramirez 4 3-4 11; Kevin Paul Jr. 6 0-0 12; Jayden Garces 3 0-0 8; Croix Cox 5 0-0 12; Josh Barlow 1 0-0 3; Totals: 30 6-8 80.
McLennan: Rontavious Blackshear 7 7-8 25; Joseph Mayberry 1 0-0 2; Kardae Turner 1 0-0 2; Amare Banks 1 1-2 3; Ari Gooch 8 9-10 27; Evan Chatman 5 9-10 22; Frederick Rogers, III 5 1-2 11; Totals: 28 27-32 92.
Halftime score: Grayson 42, McLennan 33; 3-pointers: Grayson 13 (Burnett 5, Anthony 4, Garces 2, Cox 1, Barlow 1), McLennan 9 (Blackshear 4, Chatman 3, Gooch 2); Total fouls: Grayson 18, McLennan 11; Record: McLennan 16-3 (3-0).
