The Blinn College women’s basketball team took Tyler Junior College down to the wire Friday, but ultimately came up short in an 81-74 Region XIV Tournament semifinal loss in Baytown, Texas.
The Buccaneers concluded the year with a 24-8 record.
“I’m so proud of this team and this sophomore class,” Blinn head coach Jeff Jenkins said. “They finished with 24 wins each season and fought until the end tonight. Our defense let us down, and that is my fault, but our effort and competitiveness was excellent.”
The Bucs were looking for their first win against the Apaches this season in the teams’ third head-to-head of the year while also searching for their fourth consecutive trip to the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament.
Blinn trailed early, falling behind 17-11 in the first quarter, and faced a 44-35 halftime deficit. Undeterred, the Bucs stormed back in the third period to send the teams into the fourth period deadlocked at 59.
Offensively, sophomore guard Jonesha Neal, sophomore forward Tocarra Johnson, and sophomore guard led the way for Blinn with 15, 13, and 10 points, respectively. Sophomore guard Wynter Jones and freshman guard Jasey Campbell added nine and eight points. Johnson pulled down eight rebounds.
“I will genuinely miss coaching our eight sophomores,” Jenkins added. “I love them all, and they represented Blinn well on the floor and in the classroom.”
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 49 national championships since 1987.
