Blinn (28-4) returns to nationals for the first time since 2016 after winning the Region XIV Tournament and was awarded the seventh seed. The Buccaneers sat out day one of play Wednesday with a first-round bye. Jones (23-7) – out of Ellisville, Miss. – earned its sixth straight Region 23 Tournament championship and joined the field seeded 23rd. The Bobcats upset 10th-seeded New Mexico Junior College 61-52 on Wednesday to advance to the round of 16.
The entire tournament will be aired live on the NJCAA Network app, available in the Apple Store and Google Play Store. The NJCAA Network is also available to view by visiting njcaa.org/network as well as on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Android TV streaming platforms.
Jones features dynamic guard and Old Dominion University signee Olivia Knight and inside presence Sakyia White. Knight tallied 14 points against New Mexico, while Knight dropped 18 points and cleaned up the glass with 25 rebounds. Guard Meloney Thames also had a solid showing for Jones with 14 points and five assists.
On the season, White has averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds. Thames averages 15.6 and Knight rounds out the Bobcats’ top offensive threats with 11.6 points.
Blinn head coach Jeff Jenkins was on site Wednesday to get a first-hand look at the Bobcats as they punched their ticket to a date with the Bucs.
“Jones is a very good team which won the Mississippi region; they’re 23-7 and just defeated a very talented New Mexico College team,” said Jenkins, who is in his 20th season with Blinn. “They are very balanced with an athletic forward (White), and have two other players who average 15 and 11 points per game. They shoot the ball well and average six threes a game.
“We have our work cut out for us, but I know we will come out and play extremely hard.”
The Buccaneers average 78.6 points per game, led by freshman guard Telisha Brown‘s 13.8 per contest. Freshman forward Tiffany Tullis averages a double-double for Blinn with 11.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per outing. Sophomore wing Deja Adrian also provides scoring and glass protection for the Bucs with 9.3 points and 8.3 rebounds.
The Buccaneers are making their third national tournament appearance under Jenkins.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
