Paris started the game on a 7-0 run. A put-back basket b y Avion Jackson put the Highlanders on the board with 17:32 on the clock. Another Jackson bucket followed by a shot off the glass by Amare Banks pulled McLennan within one, 7-6. The Dragons added a basket before Aiden Law's 3-pointer from the wing for the Highlanders tied the game at 9 with 13:50 to play in the first half. Paris responded with a 10-0 run to take the first double-digit lead of the game at 19-9 midway through the half. The Highlanders trimmed the Paris lead to seven a couple times down the stretch but the Dragons held off the comeback and led 37-27 at the break.
Paris continued to roll in the second half. The Dragons pushed the lead to 18 at 56-38 with just over 14 minutes remaining in the game. McLennan continued to battle, cutting the lead to seven on a Banks 3-pointer with 6:40 to go. Paris responded with a 3-pointer by Amari Edwards to make it a double-digit lead again, 72-62. The Highlanders weren't going down without a fight. A 9-0 Highlander run including three points from Howard Gaskins Jr., four from Jackson and capped by a Mayberry III dunk make it a one-point Dragon lead with 3:55 to play. McLennan took its first lead of the night on a Banks jumper with 3:05 on the clock, 73-72. Paris pulled away down the stretch with a 7-0 run to lead 79-73 in the final minute. McLennan went on a 5-0 run to cut the lead to one with 40 seconds to play. The Highlanders had the ball on their own end of the court with 6.5 seconds remaining. After a timeout, McLennan's shot bounced of the iron.
Avion Jackson led the Highlanders with 14 points and Howard Gaskins Jr. added 13. Aiden Law scored 12, Joseph Mayberry II added 11 and Amare Banks scored 10.
McLennan: Julian Cuillier 0 1-2 1; Aiden Law 5 0-0 12; Joseph Mayberry III 4 2-2 11; Kardae Turner 1 0-0 2; Amare Banks 4 1-1 10; Katayvon Jefferies 0 0-0 0; Austin Omondi 0 0-0 0; Avion Jackson 5 4-4 14; Timi Ibikunle0 3 3-6 3; Habeeb Yusuf 0 0-0 0; Howard Gaskins Jr. 4 5-7 13; Joe Burgess 1 1-2 3; Maximilian Blank 3 3-3 9; Totals: 23 20-28 78.
Paris: Amari Brown 4 6-816; Samuel Cole 2 0-0 6; Amari Edwards 4 0-0 12; Odis Carter, Jr. 4 3-3 11; Samuel Johnson 1 4-4 6; Kylen Defreeze 10-0 3; Caleb Barrett 6 0-1 15; Chazz Dubois2 1-2 5; Greg Dumas 1 0-03; Troy Rice 1 0-2 2; Totals: 26 14-20 79.
Halftime score: Paris 37, McLennan 27; 3-pointers: McLennan 4 (Law 2, Mayberry III 1, Banks 1), Paris 13 (Edwards 4, Barrett 3, Brown 2, Cole 2, Defreeze 1); Total fouls: McLennan 15, Paris 23; Record: McLennan 7-1.
