The Buccaneers fell to 15-1 overall and 4-1 in region play. Kilgore improved to 12-4 overall and 3-2 in the region standings.
Blinn very nearly pulled off a comeback after trailing 25-15 at the end of the first quarter. The Buccaneers trailed 39-32 at the half and just 54-52 heading into the fourth period.
“It was a great team effort tonight,” Blinn head coach Jeff Jenkins said. “We missed some open 3-pointers, but I never get mad at missed shots; it happens to the best of players and teams.”
Freshman guard Telisha Brown led Blinn with 23 points. Freshman guard Jakoriah Long had 14 points, and sophomore forward had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Long and Brown chipped in nine and six rebounds, respectively.
The Buccaneers will look to bounce back when they visit Angelina College for a region bout at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 19, in Lufkin. Blinn originally was scheduled to face Paris Junior College in a region home matchup on Saturday, Jan. 15, but that game has been moved to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 31, at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
