BLINN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL DEFEATS TEMPLE IN OVERTIME
Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information
The Blinn College women’s basketball team rang in the new year with a thrilling 69-65 overtime victory over Temple College on Saturday at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas.
The come-from-behind win pushed the Buccaneers to 10-6 on the season. It was also Blinn’s second triumph over Temple in as many games after the Bucs earned a 72-47 road win over the Leopards on Dec. 13.
“We didn’t play our best down the stretch today, but we found a way to win, which is important for this team,” Blinn head coach Jeff Jenkins said. “We just went three weeks without playing and Temple got a chance to shake its rust off with a game Friday, and I think that played a factor early. But we battled and what happened today will definitely help us when we open region play next week.”
With Temple leading 48-47 at the end of the third quarter, a hard-fought fourth period saw the Leopards rally out of a 62-57 deficit in the final 41 seconds of regulation to send the game into OT tied at 63.
In the extra period, four of the Bucs’ six points came off free throws.
After the Leopards went ahead 65-64, sophomore guard Taylor Spencer hit two free throws and sophomore forward Cynthia LeCompte added one as Blinn inched ahead for good.
Sophomore guard Mariah Houston’s layup with 30 seconds remaining closed out the scoring.
“Once we regrouped from the chaotic end of regulation and settled down, we were ready to get back on track,” Spencer said. “It all comes down to discipline, and I think we leaned on that in overtime.”
Saturday’s second half was preceded by an equally competitive first half.
Temple attempted to pull away early, taking a 14-10 first-quarter lead and turning it into a 19-11 advantage in the opening moments of the second.
The Buccaneers would promptly halt the Leopards’ momentum with the help of an 18-9 run that chewed up the final 6:40 of the first half.
Spencer ignited Blinn’s rally with a layup, and Houston followed with a 3-pointer.
After Temple sank a layup, the Bucs reeled off six straight points on a free throw and a 3 from Houston and two free throws from freshman forward Kamaria “Juice” Ford to tie the game at 21-all with 4:07 to go in the half.
From there, the two teams traded buckets before freshman forward Amyah Weathersby buried a layup to send the Bucs into the break with a 29-28 edge.
Spencer finished the game with a team-high 18 points. Ford added 13 points, LeCompte had 12, and Houston and Weathersby tallied 10 apiece.
With its non-region schedule in the books, the Bucs open Region 14 play at Kilgore College at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10, in Kilgore, Texas.