The McLennan Highlassies and San Jacinto Gators closed out the 2018 edition of the McLennan Shoot-out tonight at The Highlands with the Gators coming away with the 61-40 victory.
The first quarter was a series of runs. San Jacinto opened the game on an 8-0 run. McLennan’s Jaylonn Walker kept the Highlassies in the game with a 5-0 run of her own to cut the Gators lead to three, 8-5, midway through the quarter. San Jacinto responded with a 7-0 run to extend the lead to double digits for the first time in the contest, 15-5, and led by 11 going into the second quarter, 20-7. The Gators continued to hold the Highlassies at bay in the second quarter, extending their lead to 18 at the half, 36-18.
McLennan rallied to start the third. The Highlassies held San Jacinto to one basket and a free throw in the first five plus minutes of the quarter and scored nine points of their own to trim the lead to 12, 39-27. The Gators pulled away once again, leading by as many as 20 in the period. San Jacinto led by 16 going into the fourth, 47-31, and led by as many as 23 in the final period.
Jaylonn Walker led the way for McLennan with eight points.
The Highlassies travel to Dallas Tuesday to face Paul Quinn at 5:30 p.m. in the final nonconference tuneup before the start of conference play Jan. 13 against Ranger.
