By Kyle Roberts
A double-double effort by senior Braylan McNeal helped lead a Ruston High comeback by the boys Friday night against District 2-5A opponent Alexandria Senior High by a final score of 59-51 after trailing by 16 at halftime.
“We started the game flat,” Ruston head coach Ryan Bond said. “Our guys came out of the locker room and competed. We changed to a 1-2-2 half-court zone defense at halftime. They only scored 9 in the third and 9 in the fourth; We showed great resilience. We still have some things to clean up, but I’m proud of the effort.
McNeal finished with 21 and 14 rebounds, while sophomore Aidan Anding had 14 points. Junior Zhy Scott added 11, as did junior Jamadrion Lillard 11, who added six assists.
On the girls’ side, the Lady Trojans stormed out offensively to take a large lead in the first quarter en route to a 56-37 win.
“We have to tip our hat to ASH,” Ruston head coach Meredith Graf said. “They shot the ball extremely well and never let up. I know our girls played hard but it just wasn’t our night. I’m looking forward to next week being a bye week and getting in some more practice time to prep for the second half of district play.”
Junior Jaliyah McWain led Ruston with 14 points on the night.
Both teams will get Tuesday night off this week before returning to action Friday at home against West Ouachita.
