BLINN MEN’S BASKETBALL OPENS CONFERENCE WITH A WIN OVER COASTAL BEND
Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information
The Blinn College men’s basketball team used a late free throw and a defensive stop at the end of the game to earn a 79-76 road win over Coastal Bend College in both teams’ Region 14 opener Wednesday in Beeville, Texas.
The Buccaneers improved to 7-2 overall and 1-0 in region play.
“We told our guys that this game would come down to the very last minute, and that they would need to keep playing hard until the end,” Blinn head coach Scott Schumacher said. “Our guys worked really hard and played a good game, and they came up with some big plays at the end.”
Blinn led 42-37 at the half and the game remained close the rest of the way.
With 1:38 remaining and the contest tied at 74, freshman guard Anthony Williams gave the Bucs the lead for good when he corralled a blocked shot underneath the basket and returned it to the hoop for a putback.
After Blinn came up with a defensive stop on the other end, the Bucs pushed their lead to 78-74 on another Williams putback.
Coastal Bend responded with a pair of free throws with less than 40 seconds to go.
Blinn capped the scoring after freshman guard Desmeon Jones was fouled near half court and sent to the free throw line. Jones made one of two free throws with 16.7 seconds remaining, forcing the Cougars to take a timeout ahead of a mandatory 3-pointer situation.
After the pause in play, Blinn freshman guard Connor Sprattley ripped through a Coastal Bend screen to thwart a potential open look from long distance. The Cougars’ Jarrius Jackson Jr. then grabbed a pass beyond the arc, but Bucs freshman guard Desmeon Jones met him with heavy pressure to prevent another opportunity.
When Coastal Bend’s Travion Hall finally got a shot off just before the buzzer, Blinn sophomore guard Dashawn Ceaser challenged him with a hand in his face. The shot missed its mark as the final horn sounded.
“Our three guards did an unbelievable job of guarding Coastal Bend’s shooters and disrupting what they had drawn up at the end,” Schumacher explained. “Every time we come down here to Beeville, it’s an absolute, all-out war, and tonight was no different. I was really pleased with how our guys battled.”
Blinn freshman guard/forward Ian Sedah finished with team highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Caesar followed with 17 points, including a trio of 3s. Williams tallied 11 points, and Jones also scored 11 to go with a team-best six assists. Sprattley finished with 10 points.
Up next, Blinn hosts region foe Paris Junior College at 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Kruse Center in Brenham.