Roadrunners Can’t Catch No. 23 McLennan AC’s Late Rallies Fall Just Short in Loss

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Angelina College’s Bryan Mitchell (11) puts up a left-handed scoop over McLennan’s Sasa Vuksanavic during Wednesday’s game. The No. 23 Highlanders held off the Roadrunners 82-74 at Shands Gymnasium. (Gary Stallard/AC Press photo)

There were so many moments late in Wednesday’s game when the Angelina College Roadrunners seemed on the verge of another upset of a nationally ranked team.

Twice in the final three minutes the ‘Runners closed to within two points, managing to get off three pointers that would have given AC a late lead.

None of those potential go-ahead buckets would fall, however, and the Roadrunners came up short in an 82-74 loss to No. 23 McLennan Community College Wednesday night at Shands Gymnasium.

The Highlanders went 6-of-6 from the free-throw line in the final 90 seconds to hold off the stubborn Roadrunners and stay unbeaten on the season at 5-0.

Gilbert Thomas scored 17 points to lead AC before picking up his fifth foul late. Mario Goggins added 15 points and Bryan Mitchell 10 in the loss.

McLennan got 16 points from Jashawn Talton and 15 each from Antoine Banks and Sasa Vuksanavic.

The Roadrunners (3-2) will play at Arkansas Baptist on Tuesday. Game time is 7 p.m.

The e-mail address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.

Gary Stallard
Sports Information Director Gary Stallard, who also serves as a Liberal Arts Instructor, begins his eleventh season with Angelina College. Following a career as a U.S. Marine, Stallard completed his bachelor’s degree at Stephen F. Austin University, where he majored in English and Journalism. For more than 16 years, he has worked as a sports writer/columnist/photographer for the Lufkin Daily News; he continues to contribute free-lance articles on occasion. Stallard has won several awards for writing, including the Golden Hoops Award for basketball writing in 2003, Regional Sports Writer of the Year in 2004, and the Texas Press Association’s first-place award for column writing in 2007 and in 2014. He has also done basketball, football and baseball radio and live streaming play-by- play and color commentary for an ESPN affiliate. Currently Stallard serves as play-by-play broadcaster for AC basketball, baseball and softball games. Prior to arriving at Angelina College, Stallard taught English at Lufkin High School for four years. He currently teaches Developmental Writing classes at AC. He and his wife Susan live in Lufkin.

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