It was a disappointing day on the road for the McLennan Highlassies and Highlanders as both teams dropped close games to their counterparts from Collin County in Plano.
The ladies took to the hardwood first with the Lady Cougars picking up the 77-69 win over the Highlassies.
Collin opened on a 4-0 run but the Highlassies quickly tied the game. The two teams traded baskets with McLennan holding the 9-8 advantage following a KeeKee Nowlin 3-pointer with two minutes left in the first quarter. Four free throws from Elizabeth Critton would extend the Highlassies lead to five. The Lady Cougars responded with a 5-0 run to tie the game at 13 with 28 seconds to play in the first. An Annya Moss 3-pointer with 15 seconds to go would give McLennan the 16-13 lead after one quarter.
A Desirae Devine put back to start the second would put the Highlassies back up by five but that's when Collin stepped up. The Lady Cougars used a 14-2 run over the next four minutes to begin pulling away and held on to a 37-30 advantage at halftime.
The Lady Cougars extended their lead to 11 midway through the third but the Highlassies didn't let their deficit hinder their play. McLennan rallied down the stretch with strong shooting from Elizabeth Critton and Anastacia Mickens to trim the Collin lead to two, 52-50, heading into the final period.
A 3-pointer less than a minute into the fourth would put the Lady Cougars up by five, 55-50. Another Annya Moss long ball and a KeeKee Nowlin jumper would tie the game at 55. Collin added a 3-pointer by Mikayla Alexander to take the lead. Anastacia Mickens scored five points in under 30 seconds to give McLennan the 60-58 lead with 6:23 to play. Once again, Collin responded with a run, this one of the 7-0 variety to put the Lady Cougars back up by five with just under four minutes to go. The Highlassies trimmed the lead to two a couple times late in the period but were unable to hold off another Collin rally to end the game.
KeeKee Nowlin led McLennan with 18 points and Anastacia Mickens added 13. Annya Moss and Elizabeth Critton rounded out the Highlassies in double figures with 12 and 11, respectively.
In true Highlander and Cougar fashion, the men's game came down to the final second with Collin stealing the one-point victory, 80-79.
The game was close from start to finish with neither team ever gaining a comfortable lead. The teams traded baskets for the first eight minutes of play with Collin holding the 16-14 lead with 11:30 to play in the first half. A Xavier Armstead shot from the top of the key and ensuing foul shot would put McLennan up 18-16. Mike Adewunmi tacked on a 3-pointer of his own to put the Highlanders up by five. The Cougars quickly responded with a 5-0 run to tie the game at 21 with 8:32 to go, and the game would be tied at 39 at the break.
McLennan opened the second on an 11-4 run to build a seven-point lead at 50-43 with 14:55 remaining in the game. Collin scored six points in the next two minutes to pull within one, and the Highlanders would lead 52-51 with 11:39 to go. The Cougars put together a 10-0 run to take the first double-digit lead at 62-52 with just under 10 minutes to play. McLennan trailed by 12, 72-60, with 6:41 on the clock but the Highlanders didn't give up. McLennan continued to fight and pulled within one a Xavier Armstead floater in the lane with 23.6 seconds to play. The Highlanders had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds but it wasn't meant to be, and the Cougars held on to a one-point win.
Xavier Armstead led the Highlander charge with 29 points. Mike Adewunmi and Javen Hedgeman scored 16 and 11, respectively.
McLennan returns to action, Wednesday traveling to Hillsboro to face Hill. Women's action gets under way at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men's game at 7:30 p.m.
McLennan: Jada McHenry 0 0-0 0; Ny'Asia Goldman 3 0-0 7; Kenidi White 1 0-0 2; Gabby Cleveland 0 0-0 0; KeeKee Nowlin 7 1-2 18; Annya Moss 4 0-0 12; Raveen Blue 0 0-0 0; Elizabeth Critton 2 7-9 11; Anastacia Mickens 6 1-1 13; Desirae Devine 3 0-0 6; Totals: 26 9-12 69.
Collin: Destiny Thurman 6 4-4 19; Mikayla Alexander 4 2-2 14; Jordynn Hernandez 3 3-4 10; Briana Marshall 4 0-0 12; Shala Robinson 0 3-5 3; Denae Lofton 0 0-0 0; Lauren Stallworth 0 0-0 0; Christina Baker 4 1-3 9; Jalah Walton 5 13-18 77; Totals: 26 13-18 77.
3-pointers: McLennan 8 (Moss 4, Nowlin 3, Goldman 1), Collin 12 (Marshall 4, Alexander 4, Thurman 3, Hernandez 1); Total fouls: McLennan 14; Collin 11; Halftime score: Collin 37, McLennan 30; Record: 9-7 (0-3).
McLennan: Javen Hedgeman 3 3-4 11; Creighton Avery 0 3-4 3; Mike Adewunmi 6 1-2 16; Xavier Armstead 8 10-11 29; Casey Armour 0 0-0 0; Garrett Shaw 2 3-4 7; Devyn Brewton 0 1-2 1; Dayante McClellan 0 2-3 4; Willie Thomas 0 0-0 0; Jordan Skipper-Brown 4-1 8;
Totals: 24 23-31 79.
Collin: Micheal Tate 5 5-5 17; Ikem Okeke-Oraeki 0 2-2 ; Timothy Denton II 4 1-2 9; Lamont Simmons 4 4-4 13;Tino Sebalj 0 0-0 0; River Reed 0 0-0 0; Nighel Ceaser 6 5-5 17; Jordan Wallace 3 0-0 8; Mason Hix 5 7-9 19; Totals: 25 24-27 80.
3-pointers: McLennan 8 (Adewunmi 3, Armstead 3, Hedgeman 2), Collin 6 (Tate 2, Hix 2, Wallace 1, Simmons 1); Total fouls: McLennan 18, Colin 32; Fouled out: McLennan (Hedgeman); Collin (Okekeo-Oraeki); Halftime score: Collin 39, McLennan 39; Record: McLennan 14-4 (0-2).
