The McLennan Highlanders trounced the Temple Leopards 82-59 this afternoon in Temple.
It was an intense rivalry game between the Highlanders and Leopards from the opening tip. Eben Effah gave Temple the early 4-0 lead with a pair of baskets early on. McLennan responded with a 9-0 run by Evan Chatman to lead 9-4 with 16:15 to go in the half. The Leopards and Highlanders continued to battle with Temple taking the 17-16 lead on a Rasuan Collier 3-pointer from the wing midway through the half. The Highlanders took control with a 9-0 run over the next two minutes capped off with a Rontavious Blackshear 3-pointer from the top of the key, 25-17. The Leopards rallied to pull within two but the Highlanders pulled away late to lead 37-29 at the break.
Camren Roper hit a basket to pull Temple within six less than a minute into the second half but McLennan took control from that point. The Highlanders used a 10-0 run including six points by Blackshear to extend the lead to 16, 47-31 with 15:01 to play. McLennan continued to roll, pushing the lead to 19 on a Frederick Rogers III slam dunk with 11:06 on the clock, 58-39. Temple rallied, pulling with 13 with a few ticks under seven minutes to go. That would be a much as the Leopards could muster.
Rontavious Blackshear and Frederick Rogers III led the Highlanders with 21 points each. Evan Chatman added 19.
McLennan: Rontavious Blackshear 8 3-3 22; Joseph Mayberry 0 0-0 0; Kardae Turner 2 0-0 4; Amare Banks 1 0-1 2; Ari Gooch 4 3-5 11; Keegan Rowell 1 0-0 3; Evan Chatman 7 5-7 19; John McQueen 0 0-0 0; Frederick Rogers, III 10 1-1 21; John Ateny 0 0-0 0; Totals: 33 12-17 82.
Temple: Logan Myers 1 0-0 2; Camren Roper 4 6-8 14; Rasuan Collier 2 1-2 6; Ovie Agbigbe 0 2-2 2; Jaymes Brown-Peterson 3 2-2 10; Anthony Cook 1 -0 3; Josh Telfort 2 1-2 5; Jason Ward 2 1-1 5; Roy Gardner 1 2-2 5; Jonty Kells 0 0-2 0; Eben Effah 2 2-4 6; Totals: 18 17-25 59.
Halftime score: McLennan 37, Temple 29; 3-pointers: McLennan 4 (Blackshear 3, Rowell 1), Temple 6 (Brown-Peterson 2, Myers, Collier 1, Cook 1, Gardner 1); Total fouls: McLennan 16, McLennan 16; Record: McLennan 19-3 (6-0).
