Jaeden Lumang led the way for McNair with a game-high 23 points, knocking down five 3-pointers and going 6-for-6 from the free-throw line, as McNair held off a late charge from Science Park to win 65-62 on Thursday in Newark.
Joaquin Rendall added 18 points, going 8-for-16 from the free-throw line, while Antoine Huet chipped in 11 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the line.
The two teams were deadlocked after the first quarter at 11-11, but McNair began to pull away in the second quarter, outscoring Science Park 17-12 to take a seven-point lead into halftime. McNair maintained its advantage through the third quarter, but Science Park mounted a significant push in the fourth, outscoring McNair 23-20 in the final frame. It was not enough, however, as McNair (12-13) secured the three-point victory.
Science Park’s Jaedyn Cannon led his team with 19 points, four steals and five rebounds, while Ezekiel Bell-Fortes contributed 14 points on four 3-pointers. Ah’jauan Williams was a force on the boards, pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with four assists, and Daniel Gracia added 10 rebounds, two blocks and four steals. Despite the balanced effort, Science Park (6-19) was unable to complete the comeback.
McNair shot 25-for-38 from the free-throw line, a factor that proved critical in the close contest. Science Park finished with 11 steals as a team but could not overcome the deficit built in the first half.