BEEVILLE, Texas – Freshman guard Macari Brooks scored a season-high 26 points, but Coastal Bend College rallied in the second half to beat the Blinn Buccaneers 70-64 here Saturday.
The Buccaneers led until the final minute, when Huntsville product Kriston Minor buried a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to give Coastal Bend a 62-61 advantage, the Cougars’ first lead since the game’s opening minutes.
Blinn called a timeout with 52 seconds remaining, but after running the play as it was drawn, the Buccaneers’ shot glanced off the rim and Blinn was forced to foul the rest of the way.
Brooks’ 26 points led all scorers.
“Makari played really well,” Blinn (11-14, 3-11 in Region XIV) coach Scott Schumacher said. “He played physical – he drove to the hoop and he hit some jumpers. I thought our whole team played hard, we just did not do a good job on the offensive glass.”
Coastal Bend out-rebounded Blinn 49-34, including 16 offensive rebounds.
Blinn shot 43 percent from the floor while Coastal Bend shot 35 percent.
“We were focused mentally and we played right with them, they just made big shots at the shot clock that really hurt us,” Schumacher said.
Darrell Combs scored 18 for the Bucs.
Coastal Bend improved to 13-7 on the season and 6-6 in the Region XIV Conference. LaDarrien Williams led the Cougars with 20 points while Minor and Darrick Little each scored 16.
The Buccaneers’ next contest is Feb. 9, when they host Jacksonville College at 6 p.m. in the Blinn P.E. Building.
For more information on Blinn basketball, visit www.buccaneersports.com.