Highlanders cruise to win over Blinn

The McLennan Highlanders blew past the Blinn Buccaneers 82-65.

Blinn took control early on, taking the 11-4 lead before McLennan found the offensive rhythm. The Highlanders put together a 7-0 run capped by a Jared Clawson 3-pointer to tie the game at 11 with 13:51 to go in the first half. A Kaleb Pouncy high-flying dunk gave McLennan its first lead of the game less than a minute later. The teams traded baskets with the Buccaneers lead 21-20 with 9:12 remaining in the half. The Highlanders used an 11-0 run including four points from AJ Barnes to take the first double-digit lead at 31-21. Blinn rallied to cut the lead back to three with three minutes to play before intermission but McLennan pushed again and led 44-35 at the break.
 
The Highlanders' Jared Clawson opened the second half on a 5-0 run to put McLennan up by 14, 49-35. Blinn began to chip away at the Highlander lead, pulling within eight at 62-54 midway through the half. That would be as close as the Buccaneers could get as McLennan pulled away down to the stretch.
 
CJ Hall led the Highlanders with 17 points and Jared Clawson scored. 16. Cedric Kelley added 15 and AJ Barnes scored 11.

McLennan 82, Blinn 65
Blinn: Bakari LaStrap 4 0-0 10; Elijah Elliott 2 4-5 8; Maurice Pinnock 2 0-0 6; Damian Watson 1 3-4 5; Masiah Gilyard 0 2-2 2; Alex Tsynkevich 1 2-2 4; Jamine Charles 5 2-2 12; Marco Foster 2 1-2 6; Jaja Sanni 3 0-06; Tyler Jackson 0 0-0 0; Azari Woods 0 0-0 0; Jan Njock 3 0-0 6; Totals: 22 14-17 65.
 
McLennan: Tim James 0 0-0 0; Nick Shogbonyo 0 0-0 0; CJ Hall 5 6-7 17; Jacobi Lewis 0 0-0 0; Dayvaughn Froe 1 0-0 3; Jaylen Thompson 4 0-0 9; A.J. Barnes 5 1-3 11; Jared Clawson 7 0-0 16; Omarion Smith 2 1-1 5; Mason Lockhart 3 0-0 6; Kaleb Pouncy 3 0-0 6; Cedric Kelley 6 3-5 15; Totals: 34 11-16 82.
 
3-pointers: Blinn 5 (LaStrap 2, Pinnock 2, Foster 1), McLennan 5 (Clawson 2, Hall 1, Froe 1, Thompson 1); Total fouls: Blinn 17, McLennan 16; Halftime score: McLennan 44, Blinn 35; Record: McLennan 1-0.