Southwest Mississippi Secures No. 2 Seed with Narrow Win Over Jones College

Southwest Mississippi’s men’s basketball team defeated Jones College 87-86 on Monday in Summit, securing the No. 2 seed in the upcoming MACCC playoffs. The game was tightly contested, with over 11 lead changes in the second half.

Jones opened the scoring with a three-pointer, but the Bears responded with two dunks from Leano Rolle and Andre Ngomabie. The game remained close, with Jones taking and losing the lead multiple times. Cy Merrett contributed heavily in the first half, going 12 for 14 from the free-throw line, and the Bears led 39-35 at halftime.

Both teams traded baskets rapidly after the break, with more than 11 lead changes. Merrett assisted Rolle three times in the final 12 minutes, with Rolle finishing with 17 points. One of Rolle’s dunks tied the game, and another gave the Bears the lead with 12 minutes remaining.

Jones pushed back, retaking the lead late in the game. Courterius Scott scored 8 of his 25 points down the stretch, including a game-winning shot with 11 seconds remaining. His final basket put Southwest ahead 87-86, and the Bears’ defense held on to secure the victory.

Scott also surpassed 1,000 career points in the game. With the win and a Pearl River loss to Gulf Coast, Southwest secured the second seed and will host a playoff game Saturday. Head coach Corey Schmidt praised his team’s focus and effort, noting improvements in discipline and execution during the second half.

Source: Original Article