HP Boys Win, Girls Fall in 7-6A Opener

The Highland Park boys started the District 7-6A basketball schedule with a significant achievement — a win over defending 6A state champion Lake Highlands.

It was something the Scots didn’t accomplish in three tries a year ago, but they did on Friday in a low-scoring struggle, picking up a key 44-40 road victory.

The Wildcats scored just seven points in the first half before HP held off a rally down the stretch. Jordan Stribling led the Scots (10-5, 1-0) with 12 points, while Henry Beckett and Colin Noble added eight apiece. Zolan Skinner had a game-high 18 points for Lake Highlands (8-7, 1-1).

Meanwhile, the HP girls struggled in the second half of their district opener on Friday as Richardson rallied for a 44-41 win.

The Lady Scots (10-6, 0-1) led at the break but scored just 11 points after halftime, including two in the fourth quarter. Audrey Walker paced HP with 13 points, followed by Kate Danner with nine.

Next up, the HP boys will look to extend a six-game winning streak when they host Irving on Dec. 15. The girls will travel to face Irving MacArthur on the same day.