LUFKIN, Texas – Second-half turnovers proved costly for the Blinn College men’s basketball team Saturday night in an 88-78 loss to the Angelina Roadrunners.
The Buccaneers committed 17 turnovers in the second half as Angelina erased a 42-38 halftime deficit.
LaDarrien Jackson scored a game-high 32 points to lead the Roadrunners, who improved to 16-10 on the season and 9-6 in the Region XIV Conference.
“Angelina played with a lot of intensity and we just didn’t match it,” Blinn (11-16, 3-13) coach Scott Schumacher said. “Turnovers stretched the lead to 10 and that was it.”
Angelina jumped out to a 12-0 lead to start the game before the Buccaneers rallied back, outscoring the Roadrunners 42-26 the rest of the period. But Angelina tightened up its defense in the opening minutes of the second half, forcing eight Buccaneer turnovers in the first four minutes. The Bucs had committed just three turnovers the entire first half.
Darrell Combs hit five 3-pointers to lead Blinn with 20 points and Macari Brooks finished with 17. Donald Moore added 13 and Kendall Deveaux scored 10. Sophomore guard T.J. Berry was out for the second consecutive game with an ankle injury.
The Buccaneers return to action Wednesday when they host Lamar State College – Port Arthur at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on Blinn basketball, visit www.buccaneersports.com.