There was nothing easy about either game for the Angelina College Lady Roadrunners and Roadrunners on Wednesday, but both teams managed to extend their win streaks to three games in doubleheader action at Shands Gymnasium.
The Lady Roadrunners hung on for an 81-74 win over Panola College, while the Roadrunners survived a brutal battle with Blinn College, taking a 72-66 win over the Bucs.
The Lady ‘Runners are at home Saturday against Tyler College, while the Roadrunners travel to Pasadena to take on No. 2 San Jacinto College.
Lady Roadrunners 81, Panola 74
AC’s Lady Roadrunners have rallied around one another after losing their team leader, making it three straight wins following Wednesday’s 81-74 win over the Fillies.
Freshman Charisma Shepherd lit up the scoreboard with a 25-point night, hitting all six of her free-throw attempts and going 3-of-4 from three-point range. Shepherd also handed off four assists in the game. Tyanna Barlow added 14 points and Erin Sanchez 11; and Kennethah Harden just missed out on a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.
Collectively, the Lady ‘Runners converted 13 of 14 free-throw attempts.
Panola’s Genesis Rivera led the Fillies with 18 points despite missing much of the game with foul trouble. Daria Emereeva and Nailah Beyah-Blount scored 10 points each.
Angel Darkus helped AC break a 68-68 tie with a bucket with 4:34 to play; Shepherd then fed Barlow for a basket before hitting Sanchez for an open three with 1:27 to play that helped ice the win for the Lady Roadrunners.
AC’s ladies will host Tyler College on Saturday at Shands Gymnasium. Game time is 2 p.m.
Roadrunners 72, Blinn 66
There was absolutely nothing pretty about the Roadrunners’ 72-66 win over Blinn College on Wednesday. The first half featured 27 fouls and 34 free throws, with the Bucs employing a physical, grind-it-out style for the first 20 minutes. The Roadrunners endured a near seven-minute scoreless drought and went a miserable 2-of-16 on their two-point field-goal attempts; and the teams combined for just 64 points over the first 20 minutes.
But an ugly win is still a win, and the Roadrunners found a way to get the job done by making big plays late to keep their win streak alive at three straight.
Trailing by a bucket with fewer than four minutes to play, the Roadrunners began hitting shots, with Corinthian Ramsey knocking down a three pointer to start a 7-2 AC run. That was just enough to hold off the Bucs and keep AC in second place in the Region XIV South Division standings with an 8-3 record in conference play.
Isaiah Bailey led the Roadrunners with 23 points; Ramsey finished with 21. They were the only AC players to reach double figures against a solid Buccaneer defense.
Antione Lister led the Bucs with 14 points; teammate Curlon Wesley added 10 in the loss.
The Bucs weren’t the only ones playing defense: With the Roadrunners clinging to a four-point lead, AC’s Gary Blackston and Victor Bell came up with steals in the waning moments to set up crucial free throws. Blackston added a block with nine ticks showing on the clock, and Bell punctuated the win with a dunk just before the final buzzer.
The Roadrunners (16-6, 8-3) have another tough test before them, with the team traveling to Pasadena on Saturday to take on the nation’s second-best team, the San Jacinto Ravens. Game time is 4 p.m.
