Missed shots and a slow first half doomed the Blinn men's basketball team Saturday.

The Buccaneers missed two shots in the game's final 20 seconds as Coastal Bend held on for a 62-61 victory at the Blinn P.E. Building.

Freshman Jalan McCloud hit a bucket with 26 seconds remaining, but missed the ensuing free throw to tie the game at 62-all. Blinn got a steal on Coastal Bend's next possession, but the Bucs' two shots in the final 18 seconds didn't fall.

The loss came after Blinn dug itself into a 31-23 halftime deficit.

"I didn't think we played that good in the first half," Blinn (13-10, 4-9 Region XIV) coach Scott Schumacher said. "We didn't have any zip on the court. Coastal Bend did a good job of controlling the tempo."

Though Blinn picked up its intensity later in the second half, the team struggled from the free throw line. The Bucs missed six free throws in the final three minutes.

Sophomore Macari Brooks scored 16 points for Blinn, and freshman Lionheart Leslie added 15.