BRENHAM, Texas – It was all about the finish for Blinn College women's basketball as it turned a late four-point deficit into a 64-61 victory over Trinity Valley Community College Feb. 25 inside the P.E. Building in Brenham.
"It is fun when you get stops and make plays offensively," said Blinn head coach Jeff Jenkins. "We struggled offensively in the first half but made some big shots in the second half."
The Buccaneers trailed 59-53 with 4:01 remaining but Blinn closed out the game on a 9-2 run that helped the team improve to 12-7 in conference and 19-10 overall.
Chant Lewis stepped up for Blinn as she was consistent offensively and had success by dribbling into the lane and ended the game with 21 points.
"I knew I had to penetrate and get into the paint every chance I got," Lewis said after the game. "If I couldn't get the shot off then I would pass it off to one of my teammates."
Alexus Freeman had a solid second half with 10 of her 13 points coming in the latter half. Katelynn Johnson also reached double figures with 10 points while hitting a couple of big shots.
The start was less than desirable for the Buccaneers as Trinity Valley scored the first eight points of the game and held a 12-2 lead in the first five minutes. Blinn was able to get the offense going with 11 points coming from Lewis in the half but Trinity Valley still held on to a 34-26 lead at the break.
Trinity Valley still looked to control the lead in the second half and held a 46-34 lead with 15:06 left in the game. That is when Blinn rattled off 11 consecutive points with Johnson scoring the final five points to get within 46-45 with 10:45 left.
Having never held the lead and trailing by four with 4:01 left, Blinn closed out the game on a 9-2 run starting with a jumper by Johnson. The Buccaneers took their first lead with a pair of free throws from Lewis.
Lewis wasn't perfect from the foul line all night but she hit the shots when they counted in the final minutes as she hit six in a row in the final two minutes to help Blinn to the three-point victory.
Blinn will close out the regular season schedule on the road when it faces Coastal Bend College Feb. 28 at 4 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 30 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
About Blinn College
Founded in 1883, Blinn is a comprehensive community college committed to educational excellence and to individual and community enhancement. With an enrollment of 19,317 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.
As part of its commitment to student success, Blinn is implementing a Quality Enhancement Plan titled "Destination Success: First-Year Focus," which utilizes learning communities to support first-year college students.
For enrollment information and to learn about financial aid opportunities, visit: www.blinn.edu.
