Highlanders secure regional tournament berth; Highlassies drop game to Temple

The McLennan Highlanders punched their ticket to the Region V Tournament with an 80-76 victory over the Temple Leopards Saturday afternoon in Temple. As is the tradition, it was a hard-fought battle between the conference rivals, and the game was close from start to finish.

Temple began the scoring with a Jibreal Washington bucket in the lane 20 seconds into the contest. McLennan's Garrett Shaw picked up two quick assists, one to Daniel Pinho Severo under the basket and another to Xaiver Armstead for a 3-pointer from the wing to put the Highlanders up 5-4, and they would never trail again. McLennan led 12-11 with 14:23 to play in the first half. The Highlanders put together a 10-0 run over the next three minutes to take the 22-11 lead midway through the half. Temple fought to cut the lead back to five, 29-24 with 5:50 to go in the half. McLennan pulled away again, extending the lead back to 10 on a Marquez Cooper 3-pointer from the wing with 4:43 on the clock, 34-24. The Leopards ended the half on a 12-3 run to cut the Highlanders' lead to one at intermission, 37-36.

The Highlanders held their largest lead of the second half at 55-46 with 11 minutes remaining in the game. Temple rallied to cut the McLennan lead to one, 59-58, with 7:13 to play. The Highlanders extended the lead to eight with 2:16 to go, but the Leopards continued to fight and pulled within three with 21.3 seconds to play, 75-72. McLennan went 5-6 from the free throw line in the final 20 seconds and held the Leopards to a pair of layups from Kaelin Jackson to seal the win.

Freshman Xaiver Armstead led the Highlanders with 27 points. Sophomore Daniel Pinho Severo and freshman Garrett Shaw added 12 and 11, respectively.

In women's action, the McLennan Highlassies let another close one slip through their fingertips as they dropped a 76-64 game to the Temple Lady Leopards.

McLennan began the scoring with a strong post move from Anndrea Mitchell in the paint with 9:48 to play in the first quarter. Temple tied the game on a Kiana Reed bucket less than a minute later and began to take control of the game. The Lady Leopards pulled away, leading 17-6 with 3:38 to go in the first. McLennan's Jaylonn Walker stepped up to put the Highlassies back in the game, hitting back-to-back 3 pointers followed by a driving bucket in the lane. Walker's 8-0 run pulled McLennan within three, 17-14. Temple's Alena Johnston added a basket in the final seconds of the quarter to give the Lady Leopards the five-point lead, 19-14.

A Kippi Webb jumper to start the second extended the Temple lead to seven, 21-14. McLennan responded with an 11-0 run highlighted by five points from guard Velma Mitchell to take the 25-21 lead with 5:41 remaining in the first half. The Lady Leopards ended the half on a 7-2 run to take the one-point advantage at the break, 28-27.

Jaylonn Walker's 3-pointer from the top of the key put McLennan back up by two less than a minute into the third quarter. Temple responded with a 3-pointer from Johnston to grab the 31-30 lead with just over eight minutes remaining in the third. The Highlassies used a 7-0 run, including another five points from Mitchell, to give themselves a little breathing room. McLennan took its largest lead of the contest on another Mitchell 3-pointer with 4:35 to go in the third, 43-35, but the Lady Leopards didn't back down. Temple rallied late in the quarter to trim the Highlassies' lead to one going into the fourth, 48-47. The Lady Leopards opened the final period on a 6-0 run. McLennan pulled within two early in the quarter, but Temple continued to pull away and the Highlassies were unable to recover.

Sophomore Velma Mitchell led the Highlassies with 26 points while fellow sophomore Jaylonn Walker recorded the double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

McLennan closes out the regular season Wednesday at Hill. The women's game will begin at 5 p.m., followed by the men's game at 7 p.m.

McLennan 80, Temple 76
McLennan: Javen Hedgeman 3 2-2 9; Marquez Cooper 2 0-0 5; Xaiver Armstead 8 6-6 27; Antoine Banks 1 0-0 2; Garrett Shaw 4 0-2 11; Jashawn Talton 2 2-2 7; Dayante McClellan 2 0-0 4; Daniel Pinho Severo 6 0-0 12; Jordan Skipper-Brown 0 3-4 3; Totals: 28 13-17 80.

Temple: John Mouton 6 1-2 17; Cullin Johnson 2 0-0 5; Kaelin Jackson 7 2-3 16; J.R. Adams 4 4-6 15; Sammy Brooks 1 2-2 2; Sebastian Karowski 1 2-2 4; Terreon Randolph 1 1-3 3; Jibreal Washington 6 0-2 12; Totals: 28 12-20 76.

3-pointers: McLennan 11 (Armstead 5, Shaw 3, Hedgeman 1, Cooper 1, Talton 1), Temple: 8 (Mouton 4, Adams 3, Johnson 1); Total fouls: McLennan 24, Temple 20; Fouled out: Hedgeman (McLennan); Halftime score: McLennan 37, Temple 36; Record: 25-4 (8-3).

Temple 76, McLennan 64
McLennan: Patrickia Daily 0 0-0 0; Colandria Haynes 1 1-2 3; Shekenia Green 0 0-0 0; Velma Mitchell 10 1-2 26; KeeKee Nowlin 1 2-2 4; Jaylonn Walker 7 0-2 18; Raveen Blue 1 0-0 3; Shankia Clark 0 1-2 1; Nadia Hayes 2 0-0 4; Chiqueria Cook 1 1-1 3; Anndrea Lloyd 1 0-0 2; Totals: 24 6-11 64.

Temple: Alena Johnston 5 2-2 14; Kristen Nelson 5 2-5 13; Doriana Brown 6 4-4 16; Jamia Miller 22-2 7; Winnie Miller 0 0-0 0; Makayla Gatewood 1 0-0 2; Gemma Ahlambra 0 0-0 0; She'Anne Ellis-Clayton 5 1-2 12; Kippi Webb 1 0-0 2; Kiana Reed 4 2-2 10; D'Ashiah Williams 0 0-0 0; Totals: 29 13-17 76.

3-pointers: McLennan 10 (Mitchell 5, Walker 4, Blue 1), Temple 5 (Johnston 2, Nelson 1, Miller 1, Ellis-Clayton 1); Total fouls: McLennan 17, Temple 16; Fouled out: Nowlin (McLennan); Halftime score: Temple 28, McLennan 27; Record: McLennan 14-13 (7-6).