A late-game rally fell just short for the 20th-ranked Blinn College women’s basketball team as Tyler Junior College earned a 72-68 victory over the host Buccaneers on Wednesday at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas.
Blinn is now 11-5 overall and 2-1 in region play.
“We’ve started out slowly in most of our games lately and we’re still having some trouble scoring the basketball,” Bucs head coach Jeff Jenkins said. “We were down 10 in the fourth and the girls found a way to fight back … I thought we were going to find a way to win. But I’m proud of the way we stayed in it until the end and we’re going to continue working on getting better offensively.”
A pair of Tyler free throws put Blinn in a 56-46 hole early in the fourth quarter, but the Bucs got a layup from freshman guard Ja’Nya Thomas sent the hosts on a 14-4 game-tying rally. Completing the rally was Blinn freshman guard Elizabeth Walton, who found herself open near the baseline before hauling in a pass and converting an easy layup for a 60-all tie.
The Apaches answered the Bucs’ burst with four consecutive points, and though Blinn pulled within one point twice more, Tyler held on for the four-point triumph.
“Every game in this region is really tough,” added Jenkins. “Until we’re able to make some more offensive plays consistently, each of these games is going to be tough.”
(Pictured: Blinn freshman guard Elizabeth Walton attempts a layup during a game against Tyler Junior College on Jan. 17, 2024)
Freshman guard Chelsy Singleton and freshman forward Tocarra Johnson paced Blinn with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Walton and Thomas chipped in nine apiece.
The Bucs’ season continues with a home tilt against Angelina College at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Kruse Center.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 45 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
