A day of celebration ended in triumph as the Blinn College men's basketball team capped its regular season with a 91-82 Region XIV South win over Angelina College on Wednesday at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas.
Prior to the start of the ballgame, 10 Buccaneer sophomores were honored by head coach Scott Schumacher, who was then himself recognized for his recent induction into the NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
The festivities set the stage for a high-energy outing for Blinn, which improved to 23-7 overall and 16-3 in the South Zone ahead of the Region XIV Tournament. The Bucs are winners of nine consecutive games.
"We knew that Angelina is a good team; they play extremely hard and they're well-coached," Schumacher said. "I was just proud that our guys were able to come out and play together. We moved the ball well and brought our defensive intensity up, which helped us pull away. Any time you get a win, it's like Christmas."
(Pictured: Blinn College sophomore guard Elijah Elliott dunks the ball during a game against Angelina College on March 1)
The Bucs led by as many as 10 points in the first half, but a Roadrunner 3-pointer just before the halftime buzz sent the hosts into the break clinging to a 52-45 edge.
Ahead just four early in the second half, Blinn found some breathing room when freshman guard Masiah Gilyard drilled a 3-pointer, and sophomore guard Elijah Elliott sank a 3 of his own as he was fouled. Elliott converted the subsequent free throw to give his team a 60-49 cushion.
"We just had to come out and do what we've been doing, which is lock in defensively, move the ball around, and rebound," Elliott said. "Those were the keys to the game, and we stayed together to win it."
Angelina trimmed its deficit to eight twice more, but the Bucs continued to score and pushed the margin to as much as 23 points to maintain control.
"Getting this win definitely gives us a boost heading into the region tournament," sophomore guard Bakari LaStrap said. "Once we locked in defensively tonight, we were fine, and I think when we play the way we're capable of on defense, we're one of the best teams in Region XIV."
(Pictured: Blinn College sophomore guard Bakari LaStrap passes the ball around an Angelina College defender during a game March 1)
Elliott paced the Bucs with 27 points, followed by 14 for sophomore guard Marco Foster, 11 for Gilyard, and 10 for LaStrap.
Elliott, Foster, LaStrap, Alex Tsynkevich, Damian Watson, Jaja Sanni, Maurice Pinnock, Azari Woods, Jakari Marshall, and Tyler Jackson were among those recognized by Schumacher during his pre-game address to a packed Kruse Center.
Blinn will have a first-round bye in the Region XIV Tournament and begin play with a tilt scheduled for 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, at the Wagstaff Gymnasium in Tyler, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
