Southwest Mississippi Men’s Basketball team traveled to Fulton on Tuesday, March 10, to face Jones College in the semifinal round of the Region 23 Playoffs. Jones secured a 93-77 victory, advancing to the conference final.
Jones started the game with a 9-0 run, holding the Bears scoreless for the opening 4 minutes, 10 seconds. An early bucket by Andre Ngomabie and a three-pointer from Courterius Scott sparked Southwest’s offense. However, Jones led 21-11 with 9:37 remaining in the first half.
The Bears fought back, trimming the deficit to three points on a slam by Leano Rolle assisted by Cy Merrett with 4:30 left before halftime. Jones responded with a 13-7 run to finish the half ahead 41-32. The second half saw Jones continue their scoring surge, with every shot seemingly falling and their defense limiting Southwest’s opportunities.
Courterius Scott and Cy Merrett contributed significantly, with 14 and 10 points respectively in the second half, but it was not enough to overcome the Jones lead. Merrett finished as the Bears’ top scorer with 23 points, followed by Scott with 20.
After the game, Coach Corey Schmidt acknowledged the challenges faced. “I thought their pressure really bothered us. We couldn’t really get into a rhythm offensively. We made some plays at the end of the first half to cut the lead to two, but we couldn’t sustain it,” he said. Schmidt also noted that Chidi Nwosu’s early foul trouble disrupted defensive adjustments and contributed to the team’s struggles to get stops.
Schmidt expressed pride in the team’s achievements, including a 17-15 overall record and a 10-4 conference record, despite the loss. “Not the way we wanted the season to end, but we have things to be proud of. Our tough non-conference schedule prepared us for conference play, and finishing as the second seed was a big accomplishment,” he said. “We need to build on this momentum to get over that hump.”
The Bears’ season concludes with their semifinal exit. They finished with a winning record and look to improve in the upcoming season.
