In an intense match-up, the McLennan Highlanders defeated the Ranger Rangers 85-73.
An Ari Gooch dunk began the scoring for the Highlanders, and a free throw from Amare Banks made it an early 3-0 lead for McLennan. That was quickly erased by a four-point play by Ranger's Chase Collins after he sank a 3-pointer and ensuing free throw following the McLennan foul, 4-3. Ranger pushed the lead to six, 12-6, with just under 16 minutes to play in the first half. A fade-away jumper by Rontavious Blackshear ignited a 15-0 Highlander run that put McLennan up 21-12 midway through the half. The Highlanders continued to rally, extending the lead to 21 at 40-19 with 2:18 to play before intermission. Ranger put together a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 14 with 35 seconds to go. Keegan Rowell drained a 3-pointer from the corner to briefly put McLennan up by 17 but Collins hit another 3-pointer at the buzzer to trim it back to 14 at the break, 43-29.
The Highlanders opened the second half on a 5-0 run with a 3-pointer by Gooch and jumper by Evan Chatman. McLennan continued to hold Ranger at arm's length, leading by as many as 17, 60-43 midway through the half. The Rangers began to rally down the stretch and trimmed the lead to 11 with 6:16 to play, 67-56. Already leading by 13, a four-point play by Gooch put the Highlanders back on top by 17 with five minutes to play. Ranger stepped up again, cutting the lead back to 11 with a 6-0 run, 73-62. That would proved to be as close as they could get.
Gooch led McLennan with 31 points. Rontavious Blackshear scored 17 points and Amare Banks added 11.
McLennan: Rontavious Blackshear 7 0-0 17; Joseph Mayberry 1 4-4 6; Kardae Turner 0 0-0 0; Amare Banks 4 1-2 11; Ari Gooch 12 1-1 31; Keegan Rowell 2 0-0 5; Evan Chatman 2 2-4 6; John McQueen 0 2-2 2; Frederick Rogers, III 3 1-1 7; John Ateny 0 0-0 0; Totals: 31 11-14 85.
Ranger: C.J. Evans 3 0-0 7; Nelson Johnson, Jr. 0 0-0 0; Anthony Medlock 10 3-4 24; Chase Collins 4 1-1 13; Hayden Ledbetter 0 0-0 0; Addison Archer 2 2-2 6; Jahsemar Olembe 4 0-1 8; Able Houston 2 0-0 4; Dion Perkins 3 2-2 11; Jaime Puentes 0-0 0 0; Totals: 28 8-10 73.
Halftime score: McLennan 43, Ranger 29; 3-pointers: McLennan 12 (Gooch 6, Blackshear 3, Banks 2, Rowell 1), Ranger 9 (Collins 4, Perkins 3, Medlock 1, Evans 1); Total fouls: McLennan 12, Ranger 16; Fouled out: Ranger (Archer); Record: McLennan 15-3 (2-0).
