BLINN MEN LOSE TOUGH ONE TO JACKSONVILLE 70-64

The Blinn College men’s basketball team fell to Jacksonville College 70-64 in a Region XIV matchup on Saturday at the Kruse Center in Brenham.

The loss dropped the Buccaneers to 16-13 overall and 9-9 in the league standings.

Blinn freshman forward Tyler Washington was on the verge of a triple-double with 11 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists, but it wasn't enough to send the Bucs to victory.

“It’s disappointing, but we’ve just got to keep playing,” Blinn head coach Scott Schumacher said. “We’ve got to get ready to play next Saturday against Angelina, compete, and play hard and finish on a positive note going into the regional tournament.”

The Buccaneers rallied from a small deficit late in the first half to force a 35-35 tie heading into halftime. The two teams went toe-to-toe across the final 20 minutes of play until the Jaguars took advantage of some of Blinn’s missed shots, turning them into fouls and opportunities at the free-throw line.

“I think it came down to us being able to make some shots, and unfortunately the basket had a lid on it for us tonight,” Schumacher added. “Jacksonville was able to get to the free-throw line and that was the difference in the game.”

Sophomore wing Connor Raines tallied 10 points, freshman guard Jakari Marshall had nine, and freshman center Alex Tsynkevich grabbed nine rebounds.

Blinn will travel to Angelina for a 4 p.m. tilt on Saturday, Feb. 26, in Lufkin, Texas.

Prior to the game, Coach Schumacher recognized the Sophomore class, who were playing their final home game for the Bucs. He also revealed that every one of them are going to receive degrees from Blinn College at the end of the school year.

(Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information)