THREE BUC WOMEN SIGNED LETTERS OF INTENT WITH 4-YEAR SCHOOLS

Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information

The Blinn College women's basketball program is sending three of its top players to the next level.

Sophomores Tianna Mathis and Jasmyn Jackson, along with freshman Chelsy Singleton are headed to four-year collegiate programs to continue their basketball careers following successful runs with the Buccaneers.

Each of the three athletes played pivotal roles in Blinn's third-consecutive run to the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship tournament last season.

Mathis, a guard from Rudder, Texas, is headed to Texas Southern University, an NCAA Division I program located in Houston.

Mathis, who took a redshirt year with the Bucs during the 2021-22 campaign, was a key role player who helped Blinn reach the national tournament in her two active seasons with the Bucs. In her final year with Blinn, Mathis put up averages of six points, three assists, and almost eight rebounds. Mathis also provided stellar defense with more than one steal and four rebounds per contest. 

"Tianna did all of the dirty work for us this year," Blinn head coach Jeff Jenkins said. "She was our best defender and rebounder, and she brought a high basketball IQ to the team. She really was the glue of this year's squad."

Jackson, of Cypress, Texas, joined Mathis this year as the only returners from Blinn's 2022-23 national tournament team. The talented forward is headed to Division II St. Edward's University (Austin, Texas) after averaging 4.6 points and 4.4 rebounds to go with 1.3 blocks per outing.

"Jasmyn was someone you were happy to have on your side," Jenkins said. "She shot the ball really well from the perimeter; she was a great shot blocker; and she really protected the rim for us. There was never an easy basket for the other team when Jasmyn was on the floor. She was a great student, player, and person."

Singleton made a big impact for the Bucs during her lone season at Blinn and is now headed to Division I Northwestern State University (Natchitoches, La.). The athletic guard earned Region XIV first-team all-region/all-conference honors after leading the Bucs with 13.8 points per game. She also averaged two assists,  almost four rebounds, and more than one steal per game.

"She kept us in a lot of games this season because of offensive ability alone," Jenkins said. "Chelsy could score in several different ways. She was our offensive leader and always gave us a chance to get a basket when we needed one."

The Buccaneers finished the 2023-24 season with a 24-10 record before winning the Region XIV Tournament to advance to the national tournament.