ELLISVILLE — Meridian used a 15-2 run late in the second quarter to pull away and beat Jones College 74-61 Monday night at A.B. Howard Gymnasium. The Lady Eagles improved to 21-5 overall and 9-3 in the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC). Jones dropped to 18-8 and 7-6.
It was “Sophomore Night” and the final regular-season home game for the Bobcats. The game featured eight lead changes in the first quarter, with Meridian holding a 14-13 edge after 10 minutes. Larissa Hubbard of Harrison Central tied the game at 18-18 with a 3-pointer with 5:40 remaining in the second quarter.
Meridian then took control, pushing its lead to 33-20 with 47 seconds left in the half after Awa Diouf made a layup. Jakera Ducksworth of West Jones made two free throws with five seconds remaining to cut the halftime deficit to 33-22.
The Lady Eagles maintained their momentum in the second half. They extended their lead to 61-42 after Diouf scored a layup with two seconds left in the third quarter. Jones mounted a comeback in the final period, pulling within 65-55 on a Julissa Claxton layup with 5:01 remaining, but could get no closer.
Ducksworth led Jones with 18 points. Lamarah Cleaves of Tupelo added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Hubbard finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. For Meridian, Terica Smith scored a team-high 19 points, with Ashlynn Stephens adding 13, Nataysia Willis 11, and Jamariyah Hilton and Diouf each with 10. Smith and Washington both grabbed eight rebounds.
Jones shot 21-for-61 from the field (34%), 4-for-20 from three-point range (20%), and 15-for-21 from the free-throw line (71%). Meridian shot 26-for-56 (46%), 5-for-12 from three-point range (42%), and 17-for-19 from the free-throw line (90%). Both teams committed 26 turnovers. Meridian had 17 assists to Jones’s 10 and outscored the Bobcats 36-26 in the paint.
Jones will finish the regular season March 2 at Southwest at 5:30 p.m. The Bobcats are expected to host a first-round Region 23 playoff game on March 5.
