When Tra Grubbs hit two free throws to give Lamar State College Port Arthur a 56-55 lead with 32.5 seconds left, it appeared the Seahawks had found a way to win a close game, pending a defensive stop.

They were getting close to forcing Blinn College into a shot clock violation when Rodney Brown, assisting on a double team, was called for a blocking foul with 5.4 seconds to go. Markques Houston then saw his first free throw bounce around the rim and in and his second hit nothing but net, and Blinn came away with a 57-56 victory Saturday after a Jase Miguez three-point attempt rimmed out at the buzzer.

“Guys have got to get confidence and believe in themselves,” Lamar State coach Lance Madison said. “I think that’s part of maturity and personal growth.”

The Seahawks point toward a cold first half of shooting rather than anything that happened down the stretch as the difference. They hit only 10 of 32 (31.3 percent) from the floor before halftime, missing all 11 three-point tries.

“I think it started the first half,” said freshman guard Ethan White, who had 11 points. “We took good shots. We just didn’t hit shots. We’ve got to get our intensity up in the first half. That’s what I think.”

Madison said it was Blinn’s game plan to force Lamar State to try and score from the outside.

“They packed it in really tight,” he said. “We got some good looks. We didn’t knock them down. We had good ball movement. We’ve got to step up with confidence.”

Lamar State (8-12, 2-8 Region XIV) lost its closest game of the season by scoring margin and fell by five or fewer points for the sixth time this season. The Seahawks had won two of their last three and waited a week longer than scheduled to play at the Carl Parker Center due to last week’s city water main break.

Serbian center Stefan Radosavljevic led Lamar State with 12 points, providing a scoring boost late in the first half after sitting with two early fouls. Grubbs had seven rebounds before the half and finished with 15 to go along with three points.

Houston, who scored a game-high 16 points, was 4 for 4 from three-point range in the first half, knocking down his second of the game to give the Buccaneers (14-6, 5-5) their largest lead at 18-10. Radosavljevic scored eight of the Seahawks’ next 12 points and put them in front at 20-18 with 4:19 left before the break.

“It was our intensity offensively and defensively” that brought the Seahawks back, White said. “We hit big shots, but at the end, it was a tough call.”

Brown made a jumper with less than 6 minutes left to give Lamar State its biggest advantage, 50-43. The score was tied at 52-all with 2:42 to go, just before Matej Gaspert made two free throws for Lamar State.

Antione Lister’s three-point shot put Blinn ahead at 55-54 with 50 seconds to go before Grubbs’ free throws gave Lamar State the lead. That was Lister’s only three-point make in six tries.

Following Houston’s winning free throw, the Seahawks pushed the ball to the frontcourt and called for time with 3.1 to go. Miguez took a pass from the top of the key and fired a three just from the right wing that would not fall as the horn sounded.

“Eventually, we’re going to knock those shots down and win these close games,” Madison said.

Lister scored 13 points and made five steals, Tony Lewis had 12 points and Curtlon Wesley hit 11 for Blinn.

Lamar State will visit San Jacinto College in Pasadena on Wednesday and host Coastal Bend College next Saturday.

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I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews