SALINA, Kan. – When the Blinn women's basketball team began its season Nov. 1, the team's focus was far from a return trip to Kansas and a bid to the NJCAA national tournament. 
Now 32 games and four months later, the Buccaneers find themselves back on the national stage for the second straight year. Blinn was awarded an at-large bid by the NJCAA to earn the program's third trip to the national tournament in its 36-year history.
"It's exciting. This is my 15th year and it took so long to get here the first time, I feel very grateful to be back a second time," Blinn (26-6) coach Jeff Jenkins said.
The 13th-seeded Bucs open tournament play Monday at 2 p.m. against Baton Rouge Community College, the tournament's 20th seed out of Louisiana. The game will be broadcast live on NJCAA TV or by visiting www.buccaneersports.com.
Baton Rouge (24-6) won the Region 23 championship, the first in team history, to qualify for the national tournament. The Lady Bears are riding a five-game winning streak heading into Monday's match-up, including a 68-57 victory over Southwest Mississippi in the Region 23 championship game.
"They come from a really good conference," Jenkins said. "They have two really good players, but they have seven players that will make it tough on us."
Sophomore Ashley Williams, a guard/forward who's averaging 19.8 points and 5.3 rebounds, leads the Lady Bears offensively. Williams is complimented by sophomore guard Rosa Bryant, who dishes out 15.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
Six of the 11 players on Baton Rouge's roster average at least six points per game. The Lady Bears are averaging 57 points per game.
So, how do the Bucs win?
The ability to score hasn't been much of an issue for the Bucs this season. They're averaging 81 points per game and have scored 85 points or more per game in 16 games.
They feature the best junior college player in the nation in Fatima Adams, a sophomore from Bryan Rudder High School and University of Houston commit. Adams is averaging 22.4 points and 11 rebounds per game this season.
The big key is defense: Can the Bucs stop Williams, Bryant and the rest of the Lady Bears offense? Sophomore Amari Jones will likely be tasked with containing Williams.
Buccaneer Depth
Though the offense tends to run through Adams, Blinn has the depth to back up its leading scorer. Sophomores Katrina Hayden, Tierra Tucker, Tayler Weiks and Shunta Nevitt are all averaging more than eight points per game.
Hayden (10 ppg) and Tucker (9 ppg) give Blinn a physical presence in driving the lane, while Weiks (9.1 ppg) and Nevitt (8.2 ppg) are threats on the outside to help open those lanes.
Similar Teams
Here's a look at how Baton Rouge and Blinn did against similar teams this season.
Baton Rouge: 6-1
Blinn: 13-0
Region XIV Conference Dominance
The Region XIV Conference features three teams at the national tournament: Blinn, No. 1-ranked Trinity Valley and No. 11 Tyler.
Of Blinn's six losses on the season, four come to Trinity Valley and Tyler.
"We come from a really good region," Jenkins said. "Trinity Valley is back-to-back national champions and Tyler consistently puts out top teams. The games we did lose this year were good losses, if there is such a thing."
Tournament Seeding
1. Trinity Valley, 32-1
2. Chipola (Fla.), 31-1
3. Hutchinson (Kan.), 32-0
4. Walters State (Tenn.), 32-0
5. Central Arizona, 29-2
6. Southern Idaho, 29-3
7. Shelton State (Ala.), 30-3
8. South Georgia Tech, 30-4
9. Northwest Florida State, 24-6
10. Butler (Kan.), 32-2
11. Tyler, 28-5
12. Salt Lake (Utah), 25-7
13. Blinn, (26-6)
14. Eastern Arizona, 23-8
15. New Mexico, 25-5
16. State Fair (Mo.), 21-8
17. Western Nebraska, 30-4
18. ASA (N.Y.), 18-3
19. Northern Oklahoma-Enid, 20-11
20. Baton Rouge (La.), 24-6
21. Lake Region State (N.D.), 29-4
22. Southwestern Illinois, 23-5
23. Southwest Mississippi, 21-8
24. Denmark Tech (S.C.), 17-2
