The 21st-ranked McLennan Highlanders trounced the Temple Leopards 99-63 this afternoon at The Highlands.
Tayshaun Goston began the scoring with a 3-pointer for the Leopards. Amare Banks responded with a 3-pointer for the Highlanders to the game. Banks' shot started a 12-0 McLennan run composed of eight points for Banks and four for Timi Ibikunle, including a slam dunk. The Highlanders were clearly in control and led 14-8 with 13:26 to go in the half. A 6-0 run with four points from Joe Burgess and two from Aiden Law quickly doubled the McLennan lead to 12, 20-8. Temple would cut the lead back to 10 a couple times down and trailed 36-26 with three minutes to go. The Highlanders broke the game open with a 12-1 run, with another seven points for Banks, to end the half with a 21-point lead, 48-27.
McLennan rolled through the second half behind strong play from Banks and Ibikunle. Banks led the Highlanders with 31 points including five 3-pointers, and Ibikunle scored 18. Avion Jackson and Aiden Law added 15 and 14, respectively.
Temple: Josh Telfort 5 4-7 14; Jason Ward 3 0-0 6; Tayshaun Goston 4 0-0 9; Jonty Kells 0 0-0 0; Ovie Agbigbe 2 0-0 4; Jaymes Brown-Peterson1 1-2 4; Joel Brown 2 0-0 4; Roy Gardner 2 1-2 7; Joseph Lloyd 1 0-0 2; Harry Bates 5 1-2 12; Isaac Green 0 1-2 1; Totals: 25 8-15 63.
McLennan: Aiden Law 5 3-3 14; Joseph Mayberry III 1 0-0 2; Kardae Turner 0 0-0 0; Amare Banks 11 4-4 31; Katayvon Jefferies 2 -0 6; Austin Omondi 0 0-0 0; Avion Jackson 5 3-4 15; Timi Ibikunle 9 0-0 18; Habeeb Yusuf 0 0-0 0; Howard Gaskins Jr. 1 0-0 2; Joe Burgess 3 1-1 7; Maximilian Blank 1 2-2 4; Totals: 38 13-14 99.
Halftime score: McLennan 48, Temple 27; 3-pointers: Temple 5 (Gardner 2, Goston 1, Brown-Peterson 1, Bates 1), McLennan 10 (Banks 5, Jefferies 2, Jackson 2, Law 1); Total fouls: Temple 11, McLennan 13; Record: McLennan 20-1 (5-0).
