BEEVILLE, Texas — In a fast-paced, back-and-forth battle to open conference play, the Coastal Bend College Cougars came up just short against the Blinn Buccaneers, falling 79–76 inside The Den on Wednesday night.

The matchup featured several ties and momentum shifts throughout, with Blinn taking a 42–37 lead into halftime. Despite the Cougars' strong push in the second half, the Buccaneers were able to withstand multiple runs and escape with the narrow victory as Freshman Travion Hall's game tying three pointer fell short.  

Matthew Johnson led the Cougars with an efficient 13 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting night. Sophomore guard Michael Bruno added 11 points and 4 assists, while sophomore forward Richard Safa matched him with 11 points and pulled down 4 rebounds. Freshman standout Jarrius Jackson contributed 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, and fellow freshman Taj Petteway delivered an impressive effort with 8 points and 10 boards.

The Cougars will look to bounce back quickly as they return to The Den on Saturday, December 6, hosting Angelina at 4 p.m.