Blinn saw its five-game winning streak come to an end and fell to 16-12 overall with a 9-8 region record. The Runnin’ Rebels remained tied for first place in the league standings and jumped to 22-4 with a 14-2 conference mark.
“Lee is in first place in the league for a reason,” Blinn head coach Scott Schumacher said. “We battled the entire night and we cut the lead down to eight in the second half, but you’ve got to minimize your mistakes against a good basketball team, and in big games like these, your mistakes get maximized. Tonight, that’s what Lee did when we made a mistake.”
After trailing 42-32 at the half, the Buccaneers played Lee even across the final 20 minutes.
Leading the way offensively for Blinn was freshman guard Maurice Pinnock, who finished with 13 points, and freshman wing Tyler Washington, who added 11.
The Buccaneers will host Jacksonville College for a region bout at 4 p.m. at the Kruse Center following the conclusion of the Blinn women’s game. The Blinn men will celebrate Sophomore Day prior to tip-off.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
