Lamar State sports information

BRENHAM — Lamar State College Port Arthur fell behind by double-digits early but refused to quit, utilizing a stifling pressure defense to unsettle Blinn College for a 78-73 come-from-behind men’s basketball win on the road Saturday afternoon.

Devaughn Thomas dominated in this one, scoring 25 points with 12 rebounds as the freshman guard from Lafayette, Louisiana, came alive in the second half for his best performance of the season. Fellow freshman Chris Thomas, from Vivian, Louisiana, made his presence known, especially in the critical second-half push, to score 11 points with 12 rebounds and three blocked shots.

The win for the Seahawks moves them into sole possession of second place in the NJCAA Region XIV South Zone behind Jacksonville College. Those two teams will battle in the regular season finale on March 2 in the Carl Parker Center in Port Arthur. That game, with the Mardi Gras celebration that day, tips off early at 2 p.m.

Against Blinn, the Seahawks trailed by as many as 12 points late in the first half but utilized a pressure full-court defense to put Blinn College on its heels through the better part of the second half. With Devaughn Thomas and Chris Thomas sharing the offensive load in the paint, the Hawks battled back to tie the game at 60-60 on a pair of Alex Williams free throws with 6:35 left in the game.

Blinn fought back to tie the game again at 63-63 and 66-66 but the Seahawks never relinquished the lead again, retaking the advantage on back-to-back baskets-plus-free throws from Devaughn Thomas and Nathan Bailey to go up 71-66. The Hawks never looked back, outrunning the Buccaneers to the finish line for the critical conference win on the road.

Freshmen Darion Chatman and Terrence Minor each scored nine points with Minor chipping in four assists. Bailey added eight points with three blocked shots.

The Hawks take their second of three straight road trips this Wednesday when they travel to Beeville, where they face Coastal Bend College with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.