ELLISVILLE — Jones College opened strong and never looked back, defeating East Mississippi Community College 88-71 Tuesday night. The victory marked the Bobcats’ 18th consecutive win in the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference.
Jones scored the first eight points of the game and led by as many as 22 points in the first half. The Bobcats’ 17-point win was their largest over the Lions since a 22-point victory on Nov. 30, 2005, in Scooba. They improved to 16-5 overall and 5-0 in conference play, while EMCC fell to 11-10 overall and 1-4 in league games.
The Lions managed to cut their deficit to 8-7 early in the game but could not close the gap. Jones responded with a 12-2 run that pushed the lead into double digits. The Bobcats led 51-29 at halftime and maintained a double-digit advantage for most of the second half. EMCC got no closer than 13 points with five minutes remaining.
Jones shot 53% from the field, compared to 37% for EMCC. The Bobcats also won the turnover battle and edged the Lions in rebounding. Six players scored in double figures for Jones, led by Braylon Barnes with 26 points, including six three-pointers. Jay Tyler added 16 points, Dylan Rowe 13, Keron Jackson 12, Wesley Lindsey 10, and Bob Dickson 11 with seven rebounds and five blocks.
The Bobcats will play at Holmes Community College Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
