LUFKIN, Texas – At times, Blinn College men's basketball played well enough to get a win but it was Trinity Valley Community College coming away with an 86-73 victory in the Region XIV quarterfinals Thursday afternoon in Lufkin.
The quarterfinal loss ends the season for the Buccaneers with a 22-10 overall record and 1-1 in the postseason.
"Our guys played hard the whole time and fought for the entire 40 minutes," said Blinn coach Scott Schumacher.
Morris Dunnigan had a solid game for Blinn with 25 points to lead the way. Corey Henderson, James Harrison and John Dewey each had 13 points in the loss.
After grabbing a quick 5-2 lead early on, things went south for Blinn as Trinity Valley used a 14-2 run to take a 16-7 lead. The Buccaneers did fight back as Dunnigan hit a 3-pointer and Henderson hit a layup to get Blinn within 25-21 with 7:29 left in the first.
Trinity Valley followed that with 12 consecutive points to take a 37-21 lead but Blinn would cut into that before the half. Henderson hit a pair of 3-pointers and Dunnigan capped the first half with a successful layup in the paint to get the Buccaneers within 44-37 at the break.
Trinity Valley extended its lead in the first four minutes in the second half to 56-43 but Blinn would counter with 11 straight points capped by two free throws from Victor Dukes to get within 56-54 with 13:35 remaining.
That would be as close as Blinn would get as Trinity Valley countered with a 13-2 run to open up a 69-56 lead. Dunnigan scored 12 points in the second half and Harrison added eight but Trinity Valley was able to advance to the semifinals with the 13-point victory.
"I am just disappointed that I don't get to coach my team anymore because I love coaching these guys," Schumacher said.
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.
