BLINN MEN BEAT ARKANSAS-COSSATOT TO SWEEP FIELD AT THE BLUE BELL CLASSIC
The Blinn College men's basketball team concluded the third-annual Blue Bell Classic with an impressive come-from-behind victory over the University of Arkansas-Cossatot on Sunday.
An uptick in both offensive production and defensive pressure paved the way for the Buccaneers' 65-51 victory at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas.
Looking every bit like a pair of teams playing their third game in three days, Blinn and Cossatot engaged in a low-scoring first half, and the Bucs found just enough momentum to pull away in the second.
"That was a very difficult game for us, and I thought we didn't execute like we should have early on, but I thought we did a much better job in the second half," Blinn head coach Scott Schumacher said. "That was certainly a war of wills at the end, and it was a mental game. Cossatot fought us tooth and nail and we were just able to make a couple more shots than they were."
The Colts trailed by as much as seven in the first half, but used an 11-3 run just before the buzzer to take a 29-28 edge into the intermission.
After the break, the two squads exchanged buckets in the opening minutes of the second half until a 7-0 burst gave Cossatot a 38-34 cushion.
The Colts were still ahead 43-42 with 11:52 left to play, but Blinn found some offensive life starting at the free throw line.
Freshman wing Anthony Isaac sank one shot from the line, and sophomore forward Dresean Knight followed with an impressive, no-look reverse dunk to help kickstart a 23-4, game-ending run.
"Coming into the locker room at halftime, coach told us exactly what we needed to do, and we did it," Knight said. "It started with defense and limiting them as much as possible because we knew our offense would eventually come. It's a team game where everybody has to contribute, and today, everybody showed that they can play."
A 3-pointer from freshman guard Reese Miller, a putback from Isaac, and a pair of free throws from sophomore guard Masiah Gilyard gave the Bucs 54-45 advantage with 6:27 remaining, and a pair of free shots from the Colts did little to slow Blinn's momentum.
Gilyard sank two consecutive layups, and three makes from the line gave the hosts a 61-47 lead with 2:26 on the clock.
Three Buccaneer scorers finished in double figures, led by Knight's 14-point showing. Sophomore guard Jadin Johnson added 11 points and Isaac had 10. Gilyard chipped in nine points while sophomore guard Patrick Neal tacked on eight.
Next up for the Bucs is the Wrangler Shootout hosted by Odessa College in Odessa, Texas. Blinn will battle seventh-ranked Midland College in its tournament opener at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16. The Bucs will also face New Mexico Military Institute at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, and third-ranked Odessa at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18.
"We're about to play some really good teams who are very well-coached," Schumacher said. "I enjoy playing teams that give our guys a test, and we're definitely going to get a test in Odessa."
(Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information)