Rice Scores 34 as Robinson Tops McLean

Mike Rice scored a career-high 34 points and Robinson used two second-half scoring runs to pull away from McLean and get its first win of the young season, 74-59, on Friday night at the Red Jenkins Tipoff Classic.

The Rams (1-1) started the second half with an 8-0 run to expand their lead to 12, but the Highlanders cut the margin to five with just more than six minutes to go. After Robinson extended the lead back to nine, McLean again rallied to within four with just over three minutes to  go.

Rice answered both rallies with buckets, the latter of which started a 7-0 run, capped by a three-pointer by Robert Pillow, which put the game out of reach.

Rice "moves better without the ball than any player I've ever coached," said Robinson coach Brian Nelson after the game.

"He finds ways to finish in traffic that most other guys wouldn't finish."

Rice's 18 first-half points came mostly in the paint, but he displayed his range by stepping back for several 14-foot jumpers in the second half.

The Rams trailed after a first quarter in which they had trouble getting the ball inside and were victimized by McLean's Gordon Rogo.

"We were a little anxious offensively — we were amped up to play," Nelson said of the four-point deficit the Rams faced after one quarter. "It doesn't take one guy to guard Gordon Rogo. Five guys have to guard Gordon Rogo."

Rogo scored 11 of his team-high 23 points in the first quarter, but Nelson implemented a a zone after that, which helped to take away McLean's driving lanes.

For the Rams, Dan Lee added 16 points and seven rebounds, Brendan Murphy had 14 rebounds despite playing with four fouls for much of the fourth quarter, and Pillow scored all seven of his points after halftime.

With four seniors in the starting lineup and three more on the roster, Rice believes this could be a breakout year for the Rams after a 2-17 campaign last year that included an 0-7 mark in the Concorde District.

"We think this is the best year since we've been on varsity. We're looking for a big year," he said. "We're never going to be satisfied with one win. We're looking to get on a streak."