The Buccaneers are now 19-3 overall and 8-3 in Region XIV, while Panola improved to 16-4 overall and 7-4 in region play.
Blinn held a 58-53 lead late in the second half, but the Fillies finished the game on a 12-1 to secure the victory.
“Panola made plays down the stretch and we didn’t,” Buccaneers head coach Jeff Jenkins said. “I’m proud of our kids, though, because I thought they played hard and competed. Panola is ranked for a reason – they played solid basketball and played really well in the fourth quarter. This one will hurt for about 24 hours, but we’ll regroup. We played tough, and I told the girls, ‘I’m just as proud of you when you play hard, and we lose as I am when we win.'”
Blinn led for most of the ballgame, taking a 17-10 cushion into the second quarter, a 32-25 advantage into halftime and a 46-44 edge into the fourth period.
Freshman forward Chynell Mitchell led the Buccaneers with 10 points. Freshman guards Tiffany Tullis, Telisha Brown, and Hannah Humphrey chipped in nine apiece.
Blinn hosts Bossier Parish Community College for a region bout at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
