The No. 21 McLennan Highlanders ransacked the Hill Rebels 91-44 tonight to stay undefeated in North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference play.
It was all McLennan from the opening tip. Avion Jackson drained a 3-pointer for the Highlanders with 18:40 to start the scoring and ignite a 15-0 run to put McLennan securely out in front. Amare Banks and Joe Burgess both scored four each in the run to lead the McLennan charge. The Rebels finally got on the board as Derrick Morris went 1-2 at the free throw line with 12:06 to play in the first half. The Highlanders would lead by 18, 19-1, before an Akeim Strahan hit the Rebels' first field goal of the contest. Hill pulled within 16 late but the Highlanders closed the half on an 11-3 run to lead by 24 at intermission, 40-16.
McLennan ran away with the game in the second half, allowing the squad to work on various plays and personnel schemes. The Highlanders led by as many as 48 late in the game.
Amare Banks led McLennan with 23 points. Timi Ibikunle and Aiden Law scored 20 and 12, respectively. Avion Jackson added 11.
Hill: Akeim Strahan 3 0-0 6; Daylyn Martin 1 0-0 2; Derrick Morris 1 3-4 6; Joshua Louis 1 0-0 2; Jan Lopez 0 0-0 0; Hamzah Abdullahi 0 0-0 0; Ryan Auer 2 2-2 6; Temi Omotoyinbo 4 2-2 10; Erland Pagliero 1 0-0 2; Joshua Moore 1 0-0 3; Quincy Owens 3 1-1 7; Totals: 17 8-9 44.
McLennan: Aiden Law 4 0-0 12; Joseph Mayberry III 2 0-1 4; Kardae Turner 1 0-2 2; Amare Banks 9 1-2 23; Katayvon Jefferies 2 0-0 6; Austin Omondi 0 0-0 0; Avion Jackson 3 3-4 11; Timi Ibikunle 9 2-2 20; Habeeb Yusuf 0 0-0 0; Howard Gaskins Jr. 1 0-0 2; Joe Burgess 4 0-2 9; Maximilian Blank 1 0-0 2; Totals: 36 6-13 91.
Halftime score: McLennan 40, Hill 16; 3-pointers: Hill 2 (Morris 1, Moore 1), McLennan 13 (Law 4, Banks 4, Jefferies 2, Jackson 2, Burgess 1); Total fouls: Hill 13, McLennan 10; Record: McLennan 19-1 (4-0).
