BUCCANEER WOMEN BEAT PARIS 66-63 IN ROAD FINALE

Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information

The Blinn College women's basketball team rallied for a crucial 66-63 Region XIV road win over Paris Junior College on Saturday in Paris, Texas.

The victory improved the Buccaneers to 22-7 overall and 9-4 in the region standings, where they remain tied for second place with Tyler Junior College and Kilgore College.

"It's getting close to playoff time where it's all about surviving and advancing," Blinn head coach Jeff Jenkins said. "We got started early today and survived. Our energy level and defensive effort were great, but we need to start taking care of the ball, hitting open shots, and stop fouling if we want to make a run at the regional tournament."

The Bucs improved their chances at a deep region tournament run with Saturday's comeback victory.

The Dragons took control early and built a 19-15 lead after the first period, but Blinn rallied in the second quarter to force a 33-all tie by halftime. The Bucs then built a 52-47 lead in the third period before hanging on for the close finish.

Blinn sophomore guard Ja'Nya Thomas paced her team with 20 points, followed by 19 for sophomore forward Tocarra Johnson and 12 for sophomore guard Jonesha Neal.

The Bucs have one region tilt remaining, a home matchup against Coastal Bend College at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5, at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas. 

If Blinn can knock off the Cougars, it will secure a tie for second place, with the second seed in the region tournament then being decided by a head-to-head tiebreaker with either Kilgore or Tyler. The Rangers and Apaches face off on March 5. The Bucs own the tiebreaker over Kilgore thanks to a 2-0 head-to-head record, while Tyler would earn favor over Blinn by virtue of a 2-0 mark against the Bucs this season.