BRENHAM, Texas — Blinn College women's basketball fell to Angelina College after a hard-fought contest between both teams on Wednesday night in the Kruse Center. Angelina pulled away in the final quarter to end the game 70-55.
Sophomore Jade Rochelle led the Buccaneers with 11 points, followed by sophomores Rayanna Carter and Ke'Asia Williams with 10 and nine points, respectively. Sophomores Aaliyah Holmes and Missy Archie chipped in with eight points each.
"I thought we were competitive for three quarters and in the fourth quarter we weren't competitive; we gave them too many easy baskets," said Jeff Jenkins, Blinn head coach. "It is disappointing that we didn't compete in the fourth quarter, but we are going to go back to work tomorrow in practice and try to get better."
Angelina managed to take an 8-4 lead to open the quarter before the Buccaneers took off with six unanswered points. Blinn held a 10-8 lead heading into the second quarter.
Rochelle and Holmes kept the momentum in Blinn's favor by combining for the first five points to begin the second quarter and extend the Buccaneers lead to 15-8. With 4:21 left until halftime, Angelina evened the score 22-22 with a 7-0 run. After back-and-forth play, Angelina took off with the final four points to lead 31-28 at the half.
After the break, a jumper by Carter put Blinn back on top 36-35 with 5:35 on the clock in the third quarter. Blinn held onto the lead until the final minute when Angelina scored four straight points to close out the quarter with a 44-41 lead.
In the final quarter, baskets by Carter and Williams allowed the Buccaneers to take back a 45-44 lead. Angelina answered back with five points to pull ahead and hold onto the lead for the remaining six minutes of the game. Blinn trailed closely until Angelina took off with six points during the final two minutes of play.
With the loss, Blinn's overall record drops to 9-8 and Region XIV record drops to 3-5.
The Buccaneers head on the road to take on Jacksonville College on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 36 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
