LUFKIN, Texas – Blinn College men's basketball led by eight at the half but was unable to hold on to that lead in an 89-86 loss to Angelina College Wednesday night in Lufkin.

The loss drops the Buccaneers to 14-7 overall and 4-7 in Region XIV play. Blinn was missing Link Kabadyundi and Victor Dukes for a second consecutive game.

"I am disappointed that we got beat but I am happy that our guys competed with energy at the level that we did," said Blinn head coach Scott Schumacher. "I am very impressed with this basketball team tonight."

Morris Dunnigan led Blinn with 21 points and Jaequan Brown added 14 points. Jarius Kesee scored 13 points and John Dewey pitched in 11 points.

Angelina came out strong in the first half by shooting out to a 34-26 lead with 7:38 left in the first. The Buccaneers followed with an 11-2 run for a 37-36 Blinn lead. The Buccaneers kept the momentum going for the rest of the half to hold a 50-42 lead at the break.

The second half was a lot more back and forth as Angelina cut into the Blinn lead and tied the game on several occasions. Angelina played strong in the final minutes and the Buccaneers missed a couple of late opportunities to score as Angelina held on for the three-point win.

Blinn will return home for a game Saturday, Jan. 30 against Lamar State College – Port Arthur at 4 p.m.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 32 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.

About Blinn College

With an enrollment of 19,422 students, Blinn ranks among the nation's leaders in transferring students to leading four-year universities and has received national recognition for affordable educational excellence. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu.