Men's Basketball 10/31/2026 12:13:00 AM

Eastfield edges Blinn in season-opening thriller

Buccaneers erase 17-point second-half deficit before falling on putback in final seconds

Men's Basketball 10/31/2026 12:13:00 AM

Eastfield edges Blinn in season-opening thriller

Buccaneers erase 17-point second-half deficit before falling on putback in final seconds

The Blinn College men's basketball team nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback in its season opener Friday night, rallying from a 17-point second-half deficit to take a late lead before falling 65-64 to Dallas College Eastfield at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas.

The Buccaneers (0-1) trailed by as many as 17 points in the second half but put together an 18-0 run to turn a 63-46 deficit into a 64-63 advantage. Freshman guard/wing Kevin White's driving layup through traffic with 31 seconds remaining gave Blinn its first lead since early in the second half.

Eastfield was called for an offensive foul on its ensuing possession, giving the Bucs the ball back with an opportunity to protect their one-point lead. With 11 seconds remaining, however, sophomore guard Kendarius Johnson inbounded from midcourt, but his pass was intercepted by the Harvester Bees.

Eastfield missed a couple of shots before converting a putback with approximately three seconds remaining to take a 65-64 lead. Blinn attempted one final long inbounds pass downcourt to Johnson, but the Bees knocked the ball away to secure the victory.

"We came out in the first half and played really well," Blinn head coach Scott Schumacher said. "The first eight minutes of the game, we were up big. Then, all of a sudden, we reverted to playing individualized basketball, not moving the ball, and not taking good shots."

Blinn carried a 33-27 advantage into halftime after establishing control early. The Bucs built a 21-10 lead behind contributions from several players, including freshman forward Ognjen Bodrozic, who scored multiple baskets around the rim, and sophomore guard Jeremiah Lucas, who knocked down a 3-pointer.

Freshman forward Monte Farmer also provided an offensive spark, while freshman forward Jordan Senegal added a dunk to help Blinn maintain its advantage.

Eastfield stayed within striking distance, however, and the Bucs were unable to extend their lead before the break.

The visitors took control early in the second half, opening with a surge that quickly erased Blinn's six-point halftime advantage. The Bees eventually built a double-digit lead and pushed its cushion to 17 points at 63-46.

Schumacher credited Eastfield head coach Byron Rimm II and his team's adjustments with disrupting Blinn's offensive rhythm.

"They made a couple of quick plays and shots, and boom, boom, boom, we were out of sync," Schumacher said. "I thought Byron did a good job of running some stuff to get us out of our rhythm."

Blinn responded with its most impressive stretch of the night, holding Eastfield scoreless while putting together the 18-0 run.

Farmer sparked the comeback with a steal and dunk, while freshman forward Jakari Byrd and Johnson added baskets to help chip away at the deficit. Lucas then delivered a pivotal 3-pointer from the wing with 1:08 remaining, pulling the Bucs within 63-62.

Following a Bees turnover and a Blinn timeout, White buried his go-ahead layup to give the Bucs their final lead of the night.

"Our players really fought the whole way to get back, and it's just unfortunate we weren't able to get the inbounds pass to at least get a foul shot," Schumacher said.

Farmer and Lucas led Blinn with 14 points apiece, while Bodrozic added nine.

Up next, Blinn will look to earn its first win of the season when it visits Hill College at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, in Hillsboro, Texas.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 53 national championships since 1987.

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