LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 12 Blinn College women's basketball shook off a little of the rust from not playing in over a week in the first quarter and after that was able to roll to a 59-39 victory over No. 21 Itawamba Community College in the first round of the NJCAA Division I National Tournament Monday night inside the Rip Griffin Center in Lubbock.
"We had nine days off between games and we weren't that competitive in practice," said Blinn coach Jeff Jenkins. "We looked rusty to open the game but were able to shake that off."
With the win in the first round of nationals, the Buccaneers improve to 26-8 overall and earn themselves a match up with No. 5 College of Southern Idaho on Wednesday, March 16 at 3 p.m.
Ekiya Gray was aggressive on offense and on the boards against Itawamba as she scored 17 points and hauled in 11 rebounds to lead Blinn in both statistical categories.
"I felt like we were able to get their posts in foul trouble with our speed," Gray said. "Itawamba was great competition to open the tournament.
Penina Faumui scored nine points and grabbed 10 rebounds, one point shy of a double-double. Jeliah Preston also chipped in 13 points for the Buccaneers.
The first quarter was not too pretty for Blinn as the Buccaneers struggled on offense and looked rusty at times. Gray and Abigail Whyte each scored three points in the quarter but Blinn ended the first tied 12-12 with Itawamba.
The second quarter was much better as Blinn was able to go on a run that was fueled by Preston and Ebony Parker each scoring six points. The Buccaneers were able to outscore Itawamba 18-12 to take a 30-24 lead at the break.
Gray helped Blinn maintain its momentum in the third quarter with six points as the Buccaneers opened up a 46-33 lead after three after outscoring Itawamba 16-9. Blinn did not leave Itawamba any chances for a comeback as Faumui scored six points in the final quarter and Blinn pulled away for a 20-point victory.
Shooting woes for Itawamba helped Blinn. Itawamba made just 11 of 28 free throws while Blinn was able to make 10 of 17 attempts from the free throw line.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 32 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
About Blinn College
With an enrollment of 19,422 students, Blinn ranks among the nation's leaders in transferring students to leading four-year universities and has received national recognition for affordable educational excellence. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu.
