BUCCANEER WOMEN WIN/MEN FALL

BUCCANEER WOMEN

Buccaneers hang on for 85-84 victory over McLennan

“Both teams shot the ball very well, they just missed a shot at the end,” Blinn (7-2) coach Jeff Jenkins said. “It was good to win a game on the road against a good team.”

It was a fight the entire game as McLennan held a 46-42 lead at halftime, but Tayler Weiks got hot from behind the 3-point line and made five 3-pointers to lead the Buccaneers’ comeback. Weiks scored 17 points. Each team made nine 3-pointers.

“She hit all five in a short stretch in the second half,” Jenkins said.

Alexus Freeman, a freshman from Navasota, led the Bucs’ attack with 19 points.

“She finds a way to score, whether driving to the basket, free throws –– she’s really aggressive offensively,” Jenkins said. “She’s only going to get better.”

Fatima Adams scored 14 points, and Shunta Nevitt scored nine.

The Bucs have one more non-conference game at home Monday night against Hill College at 5:30 p.m. before opening Region XIV Conference play Wednesday at home against Bossier Parish at 5:30 p.m.

“Hopefully this win prepares us for conference play, because every game in conference is going to be close,” Jenkins said.

For more information on Blinn women’s basketball, visit www.buccaneersports.com.

 BUCCANEER MEN

Paris pulls away in second half to down Buccaneers

Jourdan Stickler hit a layup at the buzzer to give the Blinn men’s basketball team the lead at halftime, but the Paris Dragons rallied in the second half to down the Buccaneers 87-76 here Tuesday.

“I thought we played really well in the first half, but we put them at the free throw line right off the bat in the second half,” Blinn (9-2, 0-1 Region XIV) coach Scott Schumacher said.

Stickler’s bucket gave Blinn a 40-37 lead at halftime. Paris, though, had success feeding the ball inside to its post Nom Dochoum, who scored 14 points and had a 7-for-10 showing in the second half. The Dragons shot 18 of 24 from the free throw line in the second half.

The Bucs got 20 points and eight rebounds from sophomore guard Macari Brooks. Freshman Jalan McCloud scored 16 points, and Stickler pulled down seven rebounds.

The stat of the night, though: Blinn shot just 6 percent from the 3-point line to Paris’ 33 percent.

“That really hurts you,” Schumacher said. “When you shoot threes and miss, that leads to long rebounds.”

Blinn matched up with Paris in nearly every other aspect of the game: the Bucs shot 41 percent from the field to Paris’ 42 percent, Blinn was 70 percent from the free throw line to the Dragons’ 71 percent and the Bucs outrebounded Paris 47-42.

“We had to scratch and claw the entire second half,” Schumacher said.

For more information on Blinn men’s basketball team, visit www.buccaneersports.com.

(Story & photos, courtesy, Matt Keyser, Blinn Information)