By Jay Neal
sports@jacksonvilleprogress.com
Blinn College, as expected, showcased two of the premier offensive players in Region XIV — Kahlil McDonald, the league’s leading scorer, and Kendric Robinson, the conference’s top three-point wizard — Wednesday night at the Curtis Carroll Fieldhouse.
But in the end, in overtime to be exact, it was the play of an unheralded Jacksonville College freshman, Gary Roberson (Natchitoches, La.), that had everyone talking as Roberson tallied seven of the Jaguars’ nine bonus-segment points as the Purple and White notched their first Region XIV win of the season by beating Blinn 87-84.
JC is now 5-6, 1-2 in Region XIV, while the Buccaneers slip to 7-4, 0-1.
The Jags will take a break from league play Monday when they travel to Fort Worth to take on the Texas Wesleyan University junior varsity.
Roberson wasted little time in establishing his bonus-period dominance as the 6-6 post scored the first bucket in overtime, giving JC an 80-78 lead at the 4:43 point of the extra frame.
On JC’s next trip down the floor, Roberson collected an offensive rebound and immediately tossed it in the cup, putting the Jags in front, 82-78.
The Bucs then pulled to within a pair when McDonald drained a pair of shots from the free throw line with 2:55 showing on the clock.
McDonald, who entered the contest averaging a league-best 24.4 points per game, led all scorers with 31 points, including four baskets from long distance.
“We knew going in McDonald was a phenomenal player and that he would be difficult to stop,” JC head coach Cinco Boone said after the game.
Tyler native Kenny Jones then canned a two-pointer with just under two minutes to play in overtime that tied the game at 82.
But the Jags went on to take the lead for good when Roberson calmly went to the charity line and dropped a pair in that sent JC to an 84-82 advantage with 1:26 left in the bonus round.
From that point on, all the scoring, by both teams, came at the free throw line.
McDonald added one free throw that cut the JC margin to 84-83, but Roberson again answered the bell after being fouled by Corey Greer with 28 seconds left.
Roberson made both of his shots from the line, which vaulted JC to an 86-83 lead.
Blinn then called a time out with 20 seconds left to set up its offensive play.
The Bucs called on their ace, McDonald, to try to convert one more trey to tie the game, but McDonald’s attempt from the top of the key with six ticks left was off the mark. The Jaguars’ Eric Kibi came up with the rebound — Kibi had 14 boards to go along with his 14 points for the evening.
Blinn intentionally fouled Kibi after he had the ball secured. Kibi then made good on the back end of two attempts from the line accounting for the final Jaguar point.
The Bucs led 40-36 at halftime, but the Jags outscored the visitors, 42-38, in the second half to send the game into overtime.
JC’s Daniel Skinner nailed a pair from the charity line with 11 seconds to play in regulation that served to tie the score.
Boone said his team did the little things late that were necessary to produce the victory.
“We’ve been having leads in the second half for the last four games and we have lost them due to missed free throws and not blocking out,” he said. “But, tonight (Wednesday), we made the shots when we had to and pulled some late boards, but we are still not great.”
Boone said the key to the game was in the defensive changes the Jags made at halftime.
“We finally started to adjust to their (Blinn) ball screens,” he said. “They killed us with the ball screens the entire game. We made adjustments at halftime and they still got some baskets in the second half, and then we made another switch and finally were able to contain their penetration late.”
Jaguars 87
Buccaneers 84 (OT)
1 2 OT Tot.
BC 40 38 5 83
JC 36 42 9 87
BC — Kenny Jones, 6; Deuce Nichols, 18; Kahil McDonald, 31; Marquis Tolliver, 6; Kendric Robinson, 14; Jarrell Mills, 6; Kenneth Anderson, 2.
JC — Daniel Skinner, 12; Lyn’dale Brown, 4; Erik Martin, 8; Javae Gilchrist, 2; Sergej Pucar, 2; Jaden Isler, 11; Bryce Hill, 13; Terrance Sims, 2; Eric Kibi, 14; Gary Roberson, 21.
Three-point goals — BC — Nichols, McDonald (4), Robinson (4); JC — Martin (2), Isler, Hill (2).
Records — BC (7-4, 0-1); JC (5-6, 1-2)
Next game — Blinn vs. Lamar State-PA, 4 p.m., Saturday; JC at Texas Wesleyan junior varsity, 7 p.m., Monday.
