BRENHAM, Texas – The Blinn Buccaneers are still trying to find the key to winning the close ones.

Navarro College defeated Blinn 76-69 at the Blinn P.E. Building here Saturday in a game the Buccaneers trailed by just three points with 30 seconds remaining.

Navarro held a 37-32 lead at halftime and extended that advantage to as many as 15 points before the Buccaneers began to battle back. Blinn trimmed the Bulldogs' lead to 72-69 with 30 seconds remaining, but Navarro rebounded a missed 3-point attempt and forced the Bucs to foul the remainder of the game.

"We're right there, we've just got to get over the hump," said head coach Scott Schumacher, whose team fell to 5-6 on the season and 0-3 in conference. "There hasn't been a game yet where we've just been drilled. We just need to finish a couple off and understand we can get it done."

Freshman guard Darrell Combs scored 18 and fellow freshman Donald Moore scored 17.

Navarro, the defending Region XIV champion, improved to 9-3 on the season and 3-0 in the Region XIV Conference.

The Buccaneers travel to Kilgore College Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. conference game. Blinn will be back at home on Dec.8, when the Bucs host Lone Star College-Tomball at 4 p.m.